The craze for money has landed two wardens in deep trouble with the escape of an inmate from the Nsawam prisons. Startling revelations are emerging following the alleged complicity of the two prison officers, Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu, in the escape of a Chinese prisoner, Wang Xiao, under dubious circumstances.
According to details presented in court by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu during the prosecution’s case, the accused wardens reportedly assisted Wang Xiao in orchestrating his escape, lured by a promise of GHC 1000 as a reward upon successful execution of the plan.
In a covert operation at a local hotel, Xiao rendezvoused with his purported wife, seizing the opportunity to abscond from a hotel room balcony under the nose of the unsuspecting officers stationed in the reception area, casting shadows of doubts on their purported innocence.
Both Oteng and Bonsu, maintaining their plea of innocence, have been granted bail in the sum of GHC100,000 each by Judge Afia Owusua Appiah, presiding over the court proceedings. The case is scheduled for further deliberation on April 9, 2024.
The prosecution has meticulously outlined a timeline of events, depicting the alleged collaboration between the officers and the prisoner in staging a calculated escape, raising eyebrows over the perceived breach of trust and institutional integrity.
Security cameras video footages obtained from the hotel’s surveillance cameras have exposed discrepancies in the officers’ account of events, presenting a stark contrast to their initial claims of the convict’s escape from an unidentified vehicle post-hospital visit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Korle Bu denied any knowledge of the inmate attending any clinic at its facility, exposing the wardene.
Accused of conspiracy and abetting the escape of Wang Xiao from the Nsawam Medium Prison, the officers are embroiled in a legal battle that highlights the critical need for stringent oversight mechanisms to safeguard against breaches of security protocols within correctional facilities.
The unfolding legal drama underscores the gravity of the charges levied against Oteng and Bonsu, spotlighting the imperative of upholding transparency, accountability, and unwavering diligence in ensuring the safe custody of incarcerated individuals.
By Vincent Kubi