The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo Constituency, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has assembled a team of lawyers to appeal cases of some inmates at the Kumasi Central Prisons.
The lawyers will provide free legal services to persons wrongfully convicted and others who were imprisoned due to an inability to secure proper legal representation.
The project aims to ensure justice is served to the inmates and help decongest the prisons.
Speaking at a visit to the Kumasi Central Prisons, Mr Assafuah, who is a lawyer, stated that the lawyers view the mission as a duty to society.
“Some of them are in prison because they didn’t have legal representation. Being a lawyer, I know that with legal representation, some cases could be appealed and justice served,” he said.
The team has already taken delivery of some dockets believed to be cases that could be appealed for acquittal or reduced sentences.
Mr. Assafuah added, “I spoke to the legal department, and I have seen some of the dockets. There are 10 of them that I think we can successfully appeal.”
The MP, who is among the lawyers representing the inmates, has deposited GH¢20,000 as seed funding for the program.
The Old Tafo Member of Parliament, through the Vincent Ekow Assafuah Foundation, also partnered with Jofel Restaurant in Kumasi to provide packed food to the inmates in celebration of Easter.
Over 2,500 inmates at the Kumasi Central Prisons benefited from the gesture, which included health screening.
The Kumasi Prisons are preparing to launch an appeal for a medical and equipment bank initiative to improve access to essential medicines and healthcare services for inmates.
The Officer in Charge of the Kumasi Central Prisons, DDP James Mwinyelle, believes the initiative can help improve the situation in the prisons.
The Medical and Equipment Bank initiative would rely heavily on support from stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, civil society organisations, and individuals.
Meanwhile, the Kumasi Central Prisons have expressed their excitement at the continuous support received by the Vincent Ekow Assafuah Foundation.
The MP was presented with a citation in recognition of the gesture made to the prisons.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com