Prison officers Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu are facing charges of conspiracy and aiding escape following the disappearance of Chinese convict Wang Xiao.
Initially, the officers claimed that Wang Xiao had escaped using a Toyota Vitz after a hospital visit. However, CCTV footage from a hotel revealed a different story.
The footage showed Oteng and Bonsu escorting Wang Xiao to a hotel room where he met his wife. The convict and his wife allegedly escaped using the balcony while the officers waited in the reception area.
Despite pleading not guilty, the court granted bail to both officers at GhC100,000 each with two sureties.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, presented evidence that the accused officers, who served under the complainant’s supervision at Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, accompanied Wang Xiao to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment on February 7, 2024.
Subsequently, the officers agreed to escort him to a hotel to meet his wife in exchange for a reward of GHC1,000.
After removing the convict’s handcuffs, Oteng and Bonsu took him to the hotel room, where they encountered his alleged wife.
The couple then escaped via the balcony while the officers remained in the reception area.
The accused officers fabricated a story about a vehicle escape to their superiors, but CCTV footage revealed the truth.
The officers were seen relaxing in the reception area after receiving meals from the convict’s wife. They only realized the escape when alerted by hotel staff.
The officers are scheduled to reappear in court on April 9, 2024.
Credit: GNA
