CONAKRY, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Prosecutor-General's Office of the Conakry Court of Appeal on Tuesday announced a decision by the penitentiary administration to transfer the detained Commander Toumba Diakite from the central prison in Guinea's capital to another in Coyah, northeast of Conakry.
According to an official statement, an unannounced inspection and search operation was carried out on Monday at the Conakry central prison, during which authorities discovered and seized several prohibited items, including mobile phones, psychotropic substances and bladed weapons, in the possession of some inmates.
During the operation, Diakite displayed aggressive behavior by refusing to submit to the search and making threats against security officers, the statement said, adding that his conduct also created tensions among other detainees.
The penitentiary administration made the legal and appropriate decision to transfer him on Tuesday to the Coyah prison, in a bid to preserve public order and ensure the safety of both other inmates and prison staff, the statement said.
Earlier in the day, gunfire was first heard around the Conakry central prison at about 0930 GMT in the Coronthie neighborhood of Kaloum, the administrative and economic hub of the Guinean capital, which hosts the presidential palace and government offices, according to local media.
Witnesses reported that elements of the special forces exchanged fire with other armed soldiers in the Coronthie area, where the central prison is located.
Following the gunfire incident, security forces restored calm in Kaloum, central Conakry, and road traffic resumed, although flows toward the downtown area remained lighter than usual, a Xinhua reporter at the scene said.
Diakite, whose full name is Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2024 in connection with the trial over the Sept. 28, 2009 stadium massacre in Conakry. Local media reported that more than 150 people were killed during the rally at the stadium. ■