All Efforts Are Being Made To Recapture Cell Escapees�Police On Duty Given 10-Day Ultimatum

The Director of Public Affairs at the Police headquarters, DSP Cephas Arthur has said structural defects at the Tema Fishing Habour police station might have be the cause of the escape of three inmates last Saturday. The Tema Police Command has mounted a search for three prisoners who broke jail on the midnight of Friday at the Tema fishing Habour Police Station. The three Ebenezer Nyagbedzi, 19, Illiasu Mohammed and Daniel Kwame Kumi, both 20 escaped through the cell�s roofing. According to DSP Cephas Arthur, most police stations in the metropolis are in a very deplorable state and arrangement are underway to renovate such station houses. �Most of our buildings are old and for some time now the police administration has started fortifying and renovating most of our cells. If you will recall, Ashaiman cells was in that state, the condition there was very bad but we (Police administration) have been able to renovate the place. Nima and Dansoman police stations have also been renovated by the police and philanthropists. ��Those buildings (Police cells) have been there for long so we are doing all we can to refurbish the place to keep safe criminals who are housed there,� he said. Speaking on the PEACE FMs �kokrokoo� programme hosted by the �Chairman General� Kwame Sefa-Kayi, DSP Cephas Arthur emphasized that, this was not the first jailbreak in the country, but measures are being taken to prevent such occurrence. �This is not the first time this (Jailbreak) has happened. It�s a worldwide issue we are combatting. Sometimes it beyond imagination how these prisoners escape. We (Police) are doing all we can to stop this,� he assured. He however said, though it might be a structural defect, the police on duty on the day of the escape are given ten days to bring the fugitives to book. �In accordance with the police law, if personnel (Police Officer) are on duty to guard robbers, it�s their due diligent to protect and guard these people (Prisoners). Not only escape but if the person (Prisoner) is sick and due to that passes on, the officer in duty will be queried. So if the person escapes, the officers must held responsible. �Maybe you don�t know, the officer might find the person so we are giving the officers on duty a grace period for ten days to fish out the three jail breakers. But if their (Officers on duty) search is futile, the police administration will take the necessary steps in accordance with their rules,� he said.