Accra, July 20 - Parliament on Friday passed the Transfer of Convicted Persons Bill, aka "Amoateng Bill" into law after taking it through the Third Reading.

The Bill, yet to receive Presidential assent, would enable Ghanaians convicted outside the country serve their sentences in Ghana and other foreign nationals convicted in Ghana serve theirs in their home countries.

Although debate on the bill was non-partisan, the passage of the bill was preceded by days of heated arguments and sharp divisions. Those against the bill said it was a waste to spend resources on transporting convicted Ghanaian prisoners back home.

They argued that the country's prisons were already choked with a large number of prisoners sharing limited facilities. Members who supported the bill, however, countered those arguments, saying convicted Ghanaian prisoners were kith and kin and needed support from fellow countrymen.

A report of the Committee on Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs presented to the House said: "The Commonwealth Secretariat has proposed a scheme to enact legislation to facilitate the transfer of convicted prisoners to address issues where extradition does not respond to the transfer of convict."

"So far not less than 25-member countries of the Commonwealth have enacted legislation in this regard," it added.

The Report said President J.A. Kufuor continues to receive persistent request during his visits abroad from citizens abroad for Ghanaian convicts to serve their prison terms in Ghana.

"The introduction of the Bill for consideration of this House was informed by the above stated concerns," it explained. It said the Extradition Act 1960, (Act 22) only permitted a person accused of an offence committed outside Ghana to serve the term of imprisonment in Ghana where the Republic of Ghana has an extradition agreement with the other country.

"Further to this, the request for extradition of the accused person can only be made where the act or omission in question constitutes an offence in both jurisdictions.

The above specified conditions for the transfer of accused or convicted person under the Extradition Act poses severe limitation, the report said.

Meanwhile, the number of Ghanaians serving prison terms outside is not known, however, it is on record that there were about 100 prisoners from Ghana in Thailand prisons in relation to narcotics crimes.

Earlier, Members of the House called for urgent response from regulatory bodies and the assemblies to check the activities of food vendors and others who sell consumables.

They touched on the way food and drugs were being sold under unhygienic conditions and said it was compromising the health of the public.

They were contributing to a statement by Ms. Akua Sena Dansua, (NDC-North Dayi) on the poor handling of comsumables. Ms. Dansua said exposure of food items and poor handling of foods were compromising the health of everybody in the country. Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, said the ministry was working at addressing the problem and was set to design markets that enhance the protection of the handling of food in a better way.