Ken Kuranchie moved out of Ho prisons: whereabouts unknown
The incarcerated journalist, Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie,who is serving a 10-day jail term for contemptuous publication against the Supreme Court in connection with hearing of the 2012 election petition has been moved out of the Ho Prisons.
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His whereabouts is yet to be disclosed by Prison officers.
Family members, political party associates and a delegation from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) were denied the opportunity to see the convict on Friday with the explanation that, he had exceeded his visits’ quota.
They were told to come Saturday, but at about 9:30am Saturday, when the GJA delegation led by Volta Regional Chairman, Victor Kwawukume got to the prisons gate, they were told the convict had been transferred.
Mr Kwawukume told Graphic Online the prison officers declined to tell where the convict had been sent to.
“We tried asking where he had been sent to and they were not prepared to tell us. They said normally when transfers are done prison drivers are not even informed ahead of time until they move the vehicle.”
“One prison officer was rude to us and verbally assaulted us. He did not understand why we were asking questions about Ken’s whereabouts”, Kwawukume said.
DSP Courage Atsem, in charge of Public Relations of the Prisons Service explained that the convict was moved out of Ho in accordance with rules and guidelines with regards to safety of the prisoner and security of the facility.
In an interview on Accra based radio, Joy FM, the prisons officer did not disclose the whereabouts of the prisoner except to say, his close family relations have been informed.
“It is not in his human rights interest to be mentioning where he is being kept”.
"The prisoner is in safe hands. This morning he (Kuranchie) ate home cooked food", Atsem said.
Courage Atsem said standing order 195 of the Prisons Service states that, “A well behaved prisoner is allowed one visit in one month”, and claimed his relatives have been informed where he had been taken to.
However, early on, Prof Mike Ocquaye, a human rights activists and former Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya also told Joy FM that the spouse of the convict was not aware of where he had been moved to.
He said he had personally visited the spouse and she was worried.
He said it was against the rights of the prisoner for officers to be jostling him around various prisons and denying the family the opportunity to see him.
The Supreme Court last Tuesday convicted and jailed the Managing Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper for contempt.
He was initially sent to the Nsawam Prisons but was later moved to the Ho Central Prisons in the Volta Region on Wednesday.
There were reports the convict was receiving numerous visits from family members and political party associates.
Stephen Atubiga, a member of the communications team of the National Democratic Congress who was also jailed three-days for a similar contemptuous offence regained his freedom on Thursday after doing his time at the Akuse Prisons.
On Friday, the GJA delegation, led by the President, Mr Affail Monney and the Organising Secretary, Mr Rogking Clottey were denied the opportunity to see Kuranchie at the Ho Prisons with the explanation that it was past 4pm and visiting hours were over, more so, it was raining and the prisoner could not come to see them.
Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were also denied the opportunity to see the prisoner and, Mr Sammy Awuku, deputy communications director of the party said the development was worrying.
Story: Enoch Darfah Frimpong / Graphic.com.gh / Ghana
Writer’s email: [email protected]
