Two remand prisoners at the Akuse Local Prison in the Eastern Region have been discharged under the Justice For All Programme (JFAP).
They are Evans Obesey, 28, and Adama Barry, 35.
Obessey was remanded for threatening to kill his mother, Rose Duku, with a machete, at Akrade in February this year, and Barry was on remand for rape since January 2012.
Discharging Barry, the JFAP (court) took into account the fact that he had served more than the minimum rape sentence of five years, stating that his rights had been contravened.
Obessey, a Level 200 Accounting student of Zenith University, was freed after his mother pleaded with the court to release him.
Mrs Duku stood as surety to obtain bail for her son, who spent almost two months at the Akuse Local Prison.
It was an emotional scene at the prison, when all present were in tears while the mother pleaded with the court to release her child.
“I have forgiven him, please release him, I reported him myself, now I want him released,” Mrs Duku pleaded.
Obessey on the other hand showed remorse and apologised to his mother for threatening to kill her, saying it was not his intention to kill the mother.
Mrs Duku warmly embraced her son after he knelt down before her in the presence of prison officers.
Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Court of Appeal judge, and Chairman of JFAP, discharged Obossey, and advised him to be of good conduct, and disassociate himself from bad company.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Justice Honyenuga said 23 cases had been dealt with at the Akuse Local Prison.
He indicated that two inmates were discharged, three applications for bail refused, 16 inmates granted bail, and two applications struck out because they were withdrawn.
Justice Honyenuga said that “we were all touched by one case where the complainant was the mother of the applicant; she came in with tears, saying she would not continue with the case”.
He said it was observed that some police officers were sabotaging the programme, adding that such officers would be reported to their superiors.
Justice Honyenuga cautioned that none of the inmates granted bail should continue to be in prison, adding, “If they are not taken home, the aim of the programme will be defeated”.
The Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Godwin Hoenyedzi described the remand situation at the prison as bad and said the programme had helped to decongest the prison.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
