Two jailed over motor traffic offences

A Kumasi Central Prison inmate, Kwesi Agyemang is in jail for wrongful overtaking.

According to the tricycle rider, he wanted to escape choked traffic when he got to a junction leading to his house after a hard day’s work. He said in a hurry, he dangerously maneuvered through the traffic putting his life and other road users at risk.

“After I had closed from work that day and I got to the junction to my house, the traffic was heavy. Instead of making the overtaking using the inner lane, I did it using the inner lane. Unknowingly, there was a policeman directing the traffic. He arrested me and sent me to the police station,” he narrated.

Agyemang said it was a double slap on his face because he was riding with an expired license making his case worse.

He said he was arraigned before court and was fined One Thousand Eight Hundred Ghana cedis and in default, he was sentenced to six months in prison.

Agyemang advised his colleagues who engage in reckless riding to take a cue from his predicament. “The manner in which we ride is very risky. I want to urge you to respect traffic regulations. I am in prison because I flouted road traffic regulations.

"We sleep in horrible conditions and eat terrible food. Be careful on the road so that you also do not end up here,” he said.

In a related story, another inmate, Kofi Asamoah is also serving a six months jail term in default of a One Thousand Two Hundred Ghana cedis fine imposed on him by a court. Asamoah told crimecheckghana that he was arrested and charged for drink driving.

“I started drinking when my father died and life was difficult. When I was arrested and sent to court I admitted drinking ‘kpoo keke’ which sparked laughter in the courtroom. The judge sentenced me to six months,” he said.

CCF’s intervention

With support from one of Crime Check Foundation’s anonymous donors, CCF has paid the fines of both inmates who are petty offenders for their release.

Time With the Prisoner

The Foundation has paid the fines of more than One Thousand petty offenders for their release.