An ex-convict, Kwame Asante, who claims to have survived attempts to poison him while in prison narrates how an inmate serving one hundred and sixty-four years at the Ankanful Maximum Security Prison, Atta Ayi, led a group known as “Black Coat’ to plot to kill him.

According to Asante, the ‘Black Coat’ is a group of ward leaders at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison headed by Atta Ayi.

Asante who had served two years of his fifteen years sentence at the Koforidua Prison was transferred to Ankaful to continue his sentence.

He alleged that the ‘Black Coat’ connived with some prison officers to end his life.

“I want you to know the corruption in prison. There are prison inmates who are building mansions in their hometowns. The prisoners have been trading with the officers in prison and there is corruption going on there,” he said.

Recounting the attempts on his life, the ex-convict said Atta Ayi and his ‘Black Coat’ squad summoned all inmates at the time who were on transfer from other prisons.

He said during the gathering, Atta Ayi wanted to initiate them into their secret dealings at the prison but he refused. He said that was the beginning of his trials in the prison.

“A member of the ‘Black Coat’ approached me and asked me to be sleeping with him because there were no women there. I did not give in to that and they started making attempts on my life,” he narrated.

“They poisoned my food and even sprayed hazardous substances on my bed but I survived,” he added.

The aggrieved ex-convict, who vowed to expose illicit activities going on in the prison, told Crime Check Foundation (CCF) that Atta Ayi and his squad bribed some of the officers.

He said because of that firm actions could not be taken against the ‘Black Coat’.

“When the Black Coat members offend, they are locked up in the guard room for some time and then freed. I once saw the group filling the refrigerator of one of the officers with drinks,” he alleged.

Asante said he sometimes eavesdropped on some of the plans of the ‘Black Coat’ on their activities in prison.

He said moves by other officers to get him a new sleeping place were thwarted and was unsuccessful because some of the prison officers were in bed with the ‘Black Coat’.

Embittered Asante said he seeks to expose illegal dealings in the prison after surviving the attacks.