A senior officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, Chief Officer Michael Osei-Bonsu, has been remanded into custody by the Kete-Krachi District Magistrate Court after being arrested over an alleged attempt to smuggle a substance suspected to be Indian hemp into the Kete-Krachi Local Prison.
According to a statement from the Service on Wednesday, June 24, the officer was arrested following routine security checks that uncovered the suspected narcotic at the prison gate ahead of his night shift on Friday, June 19, 2026.
The Service explained that officers on duty detected and retrieved the substance during standard screening procedures before the commencement of duty.
“The incident occurred on Friday, June 19, 2026, during routine security checks conducted by officers on duty before the commencement of the officer’s night shift. Through the vigilance and professionalism of the officers, the suspected narcotic substance was detected and retrieved at the prison gate,” the statement said.
Following his arrest, he was handed over to the Kete-Krachi District Police for investigations and subsequently arraigned before the District Magistrate Court, where he was remanded for two weeks.
The case has been adjourned to July 8, 2026.
The Ghana Prisons Service said the officer has also been interdicted in line with its internal regulations, pending the outcome of both the criminal proceedings and disciplinary processes.
“The Ghana Prisons Service wishes to assure the general public that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward drug-related offences and other contrabands, including mobile phones,” the statement added.
