The Ghana Prisons Service has stated that the constant transfer of the Editor of the Daily Searchlight, Ken Kuranchie to other prisons is to ensure his safety.
The Public Affairs Director of the Service, Courage Atsem, gave the assurance that the Daily Searchlight editor is in safe custody “hale and hearty, he is happy where he is, he is comfortable where he is and he is safe and when he is due for release, he will be released.’
Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have expressed worry over the continuous movements of Mr. Kuranchie since his 10-days prison sentence began on Tuesday. He was first sent to the Nsawam medium security prison on Tuesday and later transferred to the Ho Central Prison on Wednesday.
However on Friday, he was reported to have been moved from the Ho prisons to another unknown location. But speculations are that he is in the Kete Krachi prison in the northern part of Volta Region.
A leading member of the NPP earlier told Citi News, these movements are an abuse of the fundamental human rights of Mr. Kuranchie.
Mr. Atsem in an interview on the Big Issue on Saturday said the Service runs on rules and regulations and therefore his current location cannot be revealed to the public.
“The Prisons administration has the right and authority and responsibility to ensure the safe custody as it is stipulated in our mandate…and these are the guiding principles that guide us in our operations.
It is important that “we ensure the safety of the prisoner and so when he is being kept at a place and our intelligence tell us that it is not safe or him to continue to be there, it is important and in the interest of the prisoner and the prison system for him to be moved to a different location,” he explained.
He further revealed that the constant massing up of supporters at the prisons to visit Mr. Kuranchie contributed to the decision to move him to a different prison because according to him, “it is not usual for groups of people, grouping of various inclinations massing up at a prison gate asking to visit one prisoner at all cost. You will agree with me that this is not a normal thing.”
“According to our rules and regulations, a prisoner is allowed one visit in one month after serving two months of his sentence and so if we should go strictly by that, it means that Mr. Kuranchie in particular is not even entitled to any visit at all,” he added.
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