Improving conditions in Ghana’s prisons is a topic of concern for private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu.
He emphasized that the current state of the country’s prisons is unacceptable and needs urgent attention.
During a discussion about the possible extradition of the convicted CEO of MASLOC, Sedina Tamakloe, from the US to Ghana, Mr Kpebu pointed out that Ghana’s poor prison conditions could hinder such a move. He cited reports at the UN level that highlight issues with overcrowding and inhuman conditions in Ghanaian prisons.
Madam Tamakloe was sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing a financial loss of GHC90 million to the state. However, her accomplice, Daniel Axim, received a five-year jail term. The former MASLOC boss was not present during the sentencing as she was in the US for medical treatment.
Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tua-Yeboah, confirmed that steps have been taken to extradite Madam Tamakloe back to Ghana to serve her sentence. However, Mr Kpebu raised concerns about the challenges Ghana may face due to the poor prison conditions when seeking extradition.
Another legal practitioner, Kingsley Amoako-Boadu, expressed skepticism about the possibility of improving Ghana’s prisons to match the standards of the US. He believed that it would be unrealistic to expect Ghana’s prisons to reach the same level of luxury. Mr Amoako-Boadu suggested that extradition decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis.
