Two prison officers are in hot water after being lured with fried rice and chicken to set a convicted Chinese loose, leading to his inevitable escape.
Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu, who had taken Wang Xiao to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for a dental appointment, chose to escort him to a hotel in Korle Gonno to meet his supposed wife instead of taking him back into prison custody.
Wang Xiao, who was convicted and sentenced to serve one year at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, is on the run as a result of an indiscretion on the part of the prison officers who were promised a paltry GH¢1,000, which they were to split.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned as the convict and his supposed wife escaped through the balcony on the first floor of the hotel where he met the alleged wife.
Court documents indicate that the two officers who were relaxing in the reception area of the hotel after enjoying their meal with a soft drink, did not even notice the escape until they were informed by the hotel staff to check on the convict.
The two then concocted a story by telling their superiors that the convict had jumped into a taxi after they were returning from the hospital.
A CCTV footage from the hotel, however, exposed them, as they were seen escorting the convict to the hotel.
Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu have been charged with conspiracy and aiding an escape. They pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusua Appiah, has granted the two bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 each, with two sureties each to be justified.
They are to return to court on April 9, 2024, for continuation of the case.
Prosecution’s brief facts, presented by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, indicate that the complainant was the third in command at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, and the accused were serving under his supervision.
On February 7, 2024, at around 7am, the two officers were detailed to escort the convict to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The prosecutor said that after the convict was treated by a medical officer at the hospital’s Dental Department, the two accused agreed to accompany him to the Oceans Hotel in Korle Gonno to meet his wife for a discussion in exchange for a reward of GH¢1,000, which they agreed to split.
Court documents said the two officers removed the convict’s handcuffs and took him to the hotel reception where Bonsu informed the receptionist that they were there to see someone in one of the rooms.
The facts indicate that the two officers sent the convict to the room, where they met his alleged wife, who offered them KFC rice and drink so she could “spend some time with the husband alone.”
Upon returning to the hotel room to contact the convict, the accused discovered that both the convict and his alleged wife had fled through the balcony.
Chief Inspector Alorwu told the court that after the convict fled, the accused proceeded to Tema Station Hockey pitch to hide the handcuffs with a witness in the case.
They immediately called their superiors in Nsawam and informed them that while escorting the convict from the hospital, they were unexpectedly stopped by a yellow and black unregistered Toyota Vitz taxi, and the inmate jumped into the taxi and fled.
The documents state that the officers were interrogated by their superiors at the Prisons National Headquarters, who then submitted a formal complaint to the Police on February 13, 2024.
During investigations, the accused led police to the hotel and a review of CCTV footage revealed that the convict and his wife jumped from the balcony of the first-floor building and fled while the accused were relaxing in the reception area after receiving meals from the convict’s wife.
The prosecutor said that it was only when the hotel staff alerted them to check on the prisoner that they realised he had escaped.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak