Prison authorities in Kumasi say they cannot accommodate a convicted criminal because he has a health condition they suspect could be contagious.

Twenty-six-year-old, Collins James Kodah, has been jailed 10 years for unlawfully taking possession of two children of KNUST Basic School last month.

Police escorted him to Kumasi Central Prisons to begin the jail term only for authorities to turn him away, sparking off widespread discontent among the police.      

A collaboration between police and telecom operator, MTN, led to the arrest of Mr Kodah and the kidnapped children at is hide-out in Asante Akim Agogo, last month.

He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in hard labour by a Kumasi Circuit Court on May 18, 2018.

Mr Kodah was, however, refused entry to Kumasi Central Prison because officials suspect his strange skin condition could be leprosy. 

He has since been taken back to police custody.

The Nurse-in-Charge of the Kumasi Central Prison Infirmary, Superintendent Cephas Nuwordu, told Nhyira FM, Mr Kodah's condition needs further investigations after the convict told him he has been suffering from leprosy.

"As soon as a prisoner appears, the first point of assessment is the gate. The gateman alerted me that they brought in a prisoner that looked strange and when I looked at the prisoner, actually he looked white from head to toe. 

"As soon as I mentioned that 'this looks like leprosy', the suspect said, 'yes it is leprosy,'" Supt Nuwordu said. 

"This one needs investigations to confirm what even the prisoner told me... and then start him on medication before bringing him. 

"We never reject any person but the police must start from somewhere and then we continue," he said.

Supt. Nuwordu accuses some police investigators of dumping sick persons at the prisons when there are no facilities to take care of them.

He said the safe custody of suspects and inmates should be a collaboration between police, judiciary and prison service.

"Once upon a time,  they [police] said 'the prisoner should be with you I'm going to buy the drugs and come'. The policeman left. We didn't see him again.  It's very common. That is one of the reasons why I cannot accept them again when you don't bring drugs with them", he recounted.