Accra Police Command makes moves to decongest cells

Page 48: Daily Graphic, February 10, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A CELLS audit has begun at the Accra Regional Police Command, with a view to decongesting cells in the metropolis following the death of two suspects at the Ashaiman Police Station.
The Regional Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, and her deputy, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, are leading the exercise, which also includes the region’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The two inmates who died at the Ashaiman Police cells on Monday were said to have died from suffocation and excessive heat in the cells.
Four others, who collapsed in the cell as a result of the heat and, therefore, became unconscious, were admitted at the Tema General Hospital.
The cells at the Accra Central Police Station are meant for 30 suspects but more than that number are often held there due to the presence of remand prisoners.
ACP Yohuno told the Daily Graphic that the team was looking at those involved in minor cases and could be granted bail.
He said those who had been remanded in prison custody would also be sent to the appropriate prisons.
According to him, the team was also looking at those who had not been taken to court for a long time, adding, “We want to find out why they had not been sent to court.”
ACP Yohuno said the exercise had started at the Accra Central cells and would continue from the Striking Force cells and the Ministries Police cells until all the police cells in the region had been audited.
He said police cells were a temporary place for holding suspects for initial investigations in reported cases.
So far, he said, investigations indicated that most of the people in custody were remand prisoners who were returned to the cells after complaining of various ailments at the Nsawam Medium Prison.
He said it had been realised that most of the remand prisoners were not comfortable in the prisons and preferred police cells.
ACP Yohuno sad remand prisoners often complained of sickness three days after being taken to prison custody and had to be returned to the police for medical care.
He expressed the hope that medical facilities at the prisons would be improved to take care of the health needs of remand prisoners.