An 18-year-old prison inmate at the Awutu Camp Prison, Samuel Kofi Tuffuor is mentally ill for abusing drugs.
Currently serving an eighteen months jail term, he said he was jailed for stealing a shopkeeper’s money to satisfy his drugging lifestyle.
Prison Officers in charge of him confirmed that Tuffuor could stand at one spot for a long time unless he is told to move. Also, they said he could go on the rampage destroying property in the prison.
In an interview with Crime Check TV GH, Tuffuor admitted mixing hard drugs including weed, D10, and cigarettes for consumption. “When I go to the ghetto, I smoke weed, cigarettes and drank D 10 and ‘tramor’. I feel good when I take the drugs so anytime I fall sick I take it.” He said.
On how he was arrested, Tuffuor said he squandered the Eight Thousand Five Hundred Ghana cedis he stole from the shopkeeper on drinks and women at a club. He said the police trailed him to the club and arrested him. “I kept Five Thousand Two Hundred Ghana cedis of the money and spent about Three Thousand Three Hundred Ghana cedis at the club. I drank eight bottles of an alcoholic drink. When the police came, they beat me before arresting me.” He told crimecheckghana.org.
Tuffuor said he was sentenced to eighteen months after a court found him guilty of stealing.
According to the laws of Ghana, police officers are not permitted to assault a suspect and until proven guilty in a court of law, suspects cannot be labeled as criminals. The Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng indicated that though Tuffuor was later found guilty his rights were abused during his arrest. He urged police officers to exercise restraint, as they are not above the law. “It is not in the constitution to assault a suspect so it was against his right to have been beaten.” He said.
Mr. Kwarteng entreated the Mental Health Authority to take up Tuffuor’s story as a matter of urgency.
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By Rudolph Nandi
