Judge: Don't keep remand prisoners in police custody

A Circuit Court in Accra on Wednesday warned investigators against keeping remand prisoners in police custody instead of prison custody.

The warning emerged when the trial judge Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu criticised a Police Investigator, Detective Corporal Anokye Amaniampong, for flouting the court's orders.

The court, presided over by Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu had ordered that suspects be kept in prison custody but the investigator kept them in police custody.

In the case Charles Bawaduah the court had since August 2, last year ordered that he should be kept in prison custody but he was languishing in police custody.

“Are you keeping him there so that whenever members of his family come you can get your share or what?

“We have all the good laws in the court but the inactions of some render them ineffective.”

In another case involving Musa Ibrahim, a porter, who is facing a charge of possessing narcotic drugs without authority, the Detective brought him from Nsawam Medium Prisons last week Friday and kept him in Police cells with the view to escorting him to court on Wednesday.

This infuriated the trial judge who asked, “Have you decided to make your own laws and implement them?”

Detective Amaniampong explained that his action was due to transportation problems.