Emmanuel Amuzu, an ex-convict, was yesterday fined GH¢2,400 by an Accra circuit court for causing damage to the properties of Ghana Prisons Service worth GH¢15,156.
The ex-convict, who was an inmate at the James Camp Prison at Roman Ridge, Accra, was standing trial for damaging items, including ceiling fans, 22 roofing sheets, four wooden doors and 20 plastic chairs, among others.
Amuzu and four others – Abdul Wakil Bamba, Mohammed Anas, Francis Opoku and Prince Asante – all ex-convicts, the court, presided over by Aboagye Tandoh, found them guilty.
Anas, Amuzu, Opoku and Asante were charged with conspiracy, causing unlawful damage and threat of death of Chief Officer Paul Adjei on November 11, 2015.
Amuzu was facing an additional charge of possessing narcotic drugs.
Delivering the judgment, the judge said the conduct of the accused persons was bad.
The court accordingly fined Amuzu for GH¢2,400 or in default serve six months in jail.
Mr Tandoh ordered that the cost of the items damaged should be paid by the parents of Amuzu.
The court however, acquitted and discharged Anas, Amuzu, Opoku and Asante on the charge of conspiracy, adding that the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector K. Adu, failed to prove its case against them.
He said the registrar of the court must transfer the docket on the case to a magistrate court for the four to be sentenced.
In the view of the court, the accused persons were juveniles as at the time of the incident.
Earlier, George Asamaney, lawyer for the accused persons, prayed the court to spare Amuzu the custodial sentence because it would harden him.
At the initial stages of the trial, the prosecutor said on the said day, Abdul was allowed by the duty officer to wash his clothes and cut his to look neat before his release from the prison the following day.
He said Amuzu took advantage of this and left the yard for an unknown place until about 3pm when he was spotted by duty officers with a black polythene bag in his hand.
Chief Insp. Adu stated that the duty officers approached Amuzu and a search conducted on him revealed quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp (wee), indicating that the officers’ attempt to seize the bag from Amuzu was fiercely resisted but he was overpowered by the officers.
The prosecutor said the four other accomplices who were in the dormitories, seeing the action of the prison officers, damaged the doors and the windows and managed to come out.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com