Prison Officers in Court Over Alleged Role in Chinese Convict’s Escape
In a dramatic turn of events, two prison officers, Joseph Oteng and Sergeant Isaac Boateng Bonsu, found themselves in the spotlight as they appeared before the Accra Circuit Court facing charges related to the escape of Wang Xiao, a Chinese convict incarcerated at Nsawam Medium Prison.
The charges leveled against the accused officers include conspiracy and aiding escape, stemming from an incident where they allegedly played a pivotal role in facilitating Xiao’s daring escape from custody.
Initially, Oteng and Bonsu offered a narrative claiming Xiao’s escape occurred during a routine medical visit outside a hospital, where they were purportedly approached by a vehicle. However, the emergence of CCTV footage from a local hotel painted a starkly different picture, contradicting their account and revealing a sequence of events that implicated the officers in Xiao’s escape.
According to the prosecution, the accused officers escorted Xiao to the hotel, where he clandestinely met his wife in a room. The footage allegedly captured Xiao and his wife fleeing through the balcony while Oteng and Bonsu waited unsuspectingly in the reception area.
Despite vehemently pleading not guilty to the charges, the court, presided over by Mrs. Afia Owusua Appiah, granted Oteng and Bonsu bail, each required to post a sum of GhC100,000 and provide two sureties to be justified. The duo is slated to reappear before the court on April 9, 2024, as the legal proceedings continue.
Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, leading the prosecution, provided intricate details of the events leading to Xiao’s escape, revealing that the accused officers had escorted Xiao to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for medical treatment on February 7, 2024. Allegedly, Oteng and Bonsu agreed to accompany Xiao to the hotel to rendezvous with his wife in exchange for a reward, a decision motivated by a financial incentive of GHC1,000, which they intended to split.
Upon reaching the hotel premises, the officers purportedly facilitated Xiao’s escape by removing his handcuffs and escorting him to the reception area under the guise of visiting someone in a room. Xiao and his wife then purportedly absconded through the balcony while the officers remained oblivious to the unfolding escape plan.
Subsequent investigations, including scrutiny of CCTV footage from the hotel, unearthed damning evidence implicating Oteng and Bonsu in Xiao’s escape. The prosecution contends that the accused officers not only breached their duty as prison officers but were also complicit in aiding Xiao’s escape from lawful custody.
As the legal proceedings progress, the case continues to captivate public attention, shedding light on the intricate web of events surrounding Xiao’s audacious escape and the alleged involvement of prison officers in the unfolding saga.