A senior prison officer has been thrown behind bars after he was allegedly caught trying to smuggle narcotics into the very prison he was meant to secure.
Chief Officer Michael Osei-Bonsu of the Ghana Prisons Service was arrested and remanded into custody on Wednesday, June 24 by the Kete-Krachi District Magistrate Court.
The arrest follows his detention last Friday, June 19, 2026, over an alleged attempt to sneak a substance suspected to be Indian hemp through the prison gate ahead of his night shift. According to an official statement from the Ghana Prisons Service, eagle-eyed officers on routine screening duties detected and retrieved the suspicious substance during standard checks at the gate.
“The incident occurred on Friday, June 19, 2026, during routine security checks conducted by officers on duty before the commencement of the officer’s night shift. Through the vigilance and professionalism of the officers, the suspected narcotic substance was detected and retrieved at the prison gate,” the Service stated.
After his arrest, Osei-Bonsu was handed over to Kete-Krachi District Police for investigation. He was later arraigned before the District Magistrate Court, which remanded him for two weeks.
The case has been adjourned to July 8, 2026. The Service says it has also interdicted the officer in line with internal regulations, pending both criminal proceedings and disciplinary action.
The Ghana Prisons Service has assured that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards drug-related offences and other contrabands, including mobile phones.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke