Fresh details have emerged in the case of the Chinese convict who escaped from Nsawam prison while serving a jail term.
A CCTV footage of a hotel in Korle-Gonno has exposed how two Ghanaian prison officers were lured with KFC rice, pieces of chicken and soft drinks by a Chinese ecsapee.
The CCTV footage reviewed by investigators indicated that the accused prison officers escorted the Chinese convict to the Oceanic hotel to meet his wife in a room.
Prosecutor said the convict and his wife allegedly escaped over the room’s balcony while the officers waited in the hotel reception area.
This came up when the two prison officers appeared in an Accra circuit court on March 12 on charges of assisting Wang Xiao, a Chinese convict at Nsawam Medium Prison to escape.
Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu have both been charged with conspiracy and aiding escape but have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah has granted them bail in the sum of GhC100,000 each, with two sureties to be justified and will reappear in court on April 9, 2024.
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They have earlier claimed that the Chinese convict managed to escape after they had escorted him to receive treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The correctional officers have allegedly informed their superiors that an unregistered Toyota Vitz vehicle approached them after they had visited the hospital together with the convict. According to them, the convict jumped into the vehicle and it drove away the convict.
However, investigations have revealed that their assertions are not entirely true. Prosecutor said the two prison officers were detailed to escort the Chinese national to the Korle-Bu teaching hospital for treatment on February 7.
Wang Xiao who is serving a year jail term in the Nsawam prison office then requested to be sent to the Oceanic hotel in Korle-Gonno for a discussion with his wife after receiving treatment at the hospital’s Dental Department.
The two accused officers then agreed to accompany the convict to the hotel after they were promised an amount of GHC1,000 for a reward which they agreed to split.
According to Chief Inspector Alorwu, the accused officers took off the handcuffs of the convict upon reaching the hotel reception. Bonsu, the other accused officer then told the receptionist they were there to meet someone in one of the rooms.
According to prosecution, the officers sent the convict to a room where they met his alleged wife who served the officers with KFC rice, pieces of chicken and soft drinks.
Prosecution said the accused officers then left the Chinese and his alleged wife in the room to “spend some time with husband alone” while they sat at the reception.
Upon returning to the room where the convict was after a while, the accused discovered that the convict had fled through the balcony of the room together with his wife.
Prosecution said the accused after realizing the convict had escaped, proceeded to Tema station Hockey stadium to hide the handcuffs.
Prosecutors said the officers immediately called their superior, the third in command at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons and conjured a story.
They allegedly told their superior that on their way back from the hospital, they were unexpectedly stopped by a yellow and black unregistered Toyota Vitz taxi which the convict leapt into and fled with it.
However, the accused were interrogated by their superiors at the Prisons National headquarters, who then submitted a formal complaint to the Police on February 13, 2024.
The accused after further investigations led the police to the hotel were the incident happened.
Police reviewed the CCTV footage of the hotel and found out how the convict escaped.
The footage revealed that the convict and his wife jumped from the balcony of the first-floor building and fled.
This was at the same time the accused were relaxing in the reception area and enjoying their meals they received from the convict’s alleged 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.