The prisoner who escaped from the Koforidua Prisons has been recaptured.

The fugitive, Charles Agyei alias Rasta, is currently in the custody of the Koforidua-Effiduase District Police command.

The Effiduase District Police Commander, DSP Daniel Yaro confirmed the re-arrest to Kasapa News on Friday.

He said the escapee is being prepared to be put before the court.

The convict Charles Agyei, on May 8, 2018, escaped when he and other inmates went out with a prison officer identified as Gyamfi to fetch firewood at Akwadum road.

He was serving a 10-year jail term at the Koforidua prisons.

Background

An informant close to the Prisons indicated that the escapee was using a chainsaw machine to cut down the firewood while the other inmates were gathering but managed to escape after realizing he was not being monitored.

Kasapa News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah who visited the Koforidua Prisons earlier reports that the Prison officer who was in charge of the inmates and other officers had been dispatched to search for the fugitive.

The Koforidua Prison commander, Bob Dery confirmed the incident to Starr News but was hesitant to give details. The escapee Charles Agyei was arrested on 22 December 2016. He attempted to escape when he was being sent to Court on December 23 but was recaptured and sent to court and fresh charges were slapped on him. He was jailed 9-months for that offence.

On April 2017, he was put before Court at Mpraeso Circuit Court and was charged with possession of a narcotic substance which he pleaded guilty and was convicted to a 10-year jail term with hard labour.

The court stated that the 10-year jail term commences after serving the initial 9-month sentence.

The escapee has completed serving the 9-months jail term and has started serving the 10-year sentence and was therefore not eligible per regulations of the Ghana Prisons Service to be taken out for labourer work without adequate security.

Sources indicate that the escapee operates with some drug barons hence suspicion that may have influenced his escape.

Currently, the Koforidua Prisons has 660 inmates. This is made up of 434 convicted prisoners, 183 remand prisoners, 18 foreigners and 5 other foreigners on trial.