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Interior Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, says the recent commotion at the Kumasi Central Prison was a planned prison break.

According to him, information reaching him indicates that “some people” were behind the prison break as vehicles were standing by to whisk away some of the prisoners.

Speaking to the media after touring the facility Monday, Mr Woyongo said, “It was a well-planned jail break because I’m told there were cars standing by to pick some of the prison inmates. That is why they were trying to break the wall and immediately they come out the cars will whisk them away.”

One of the prison cells at the Kumasi Central Prison last Thursday caught fire resulting in the prison officers opening the cells for the inmates to go into the open, while the wardens tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers.

Fearing that the fire could spread to their cells, the other inmates started agitating and asked that their cells be opened. The inmates who were outside managed to break open the doors to the cells enabling those inside to troop out, thereby compromising security.

The scuffle between the prison officers and some of the inmates resulted in the death of one inmate while four prison wardens sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, the Interior Minister says investigations into the cause of the fire have begun and a committee would immediately be set up to investigate the jail break.

“Some of the inmates are already cooperating with the authorities and I’m sure we will get to the bottom of the issue,” he said.