The five-member committee set up to investigate the fire outbreak and attempted jailbreak at the Kumasi Central Prisons has presented its report and findings to the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
The report would be submitted to the Interior Ministry for the necessary action to be taken.
The committee members comprise the Ashanti regional crime officer of the Police Command Chief Superintendent Peter Baba who is the chairperson,Suprintendent Martin Anku Blame of the Ghana Prisons Service, Captain N.Y.S Mensah of the 4BN, the others are Mr Festus Mensah-Gbekor of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and Mr K.Osei-Poku also at the Regional Coordinating Council.
The committee which was inaugurated on 15th February, 2015 by the former Ashanti regional Minister Dr Samuel Sarpong was tasked to investigate the cause of the fire outbreak and attempted jail break at the prisons.
It was also to assess the effects and damage caused as a result of the incident.
The committee was also mandated to make recommendations to forestall the recurrence of such incident and also put forward measures to improve the state of the prisons.
Some inmates lost their lives and other prison officers sustained varying degrees of injuries when a fire outbreak occurred at the Kumasi Central Prisons on 4th February, 2015.
The committee led by its chairperson on Tuesday 24th March, 2015 presented its final work to the acting Ashanti regional Minister Mr Eric Opoku.
According to Superintendent Peter Baba, the committee interviewed 43 witnesses including some prison and police officers, remand prisoners and fire personnel who douse the fire.
He said the committee found out that the riot was ignited by a fire outbreak which occurred between the D-block and the new segregation block of the prisons.
“The committee made findings and other appropriate recommendations that will forestall future occurrences of such disturbances and then sharpen the skills and professionalism of the prison officers,” he revealed.
Mr Eric Opoku who received the report on behalf of the RESEC said the report will be submitted to the Interior Ministry since the Prison Service comes directly under the purview of the ministry.
He added that the REGSEC is only to facilitate the submission of the report to the Interior Ministry and cannot give out what it contains.
