Two prison wardens handed over to police following escape of Chinese inmate

Two prison war­dens have been handed over to the police for criminal investigations in connection with the escape of a Chinese inmate, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, a week ago.

This follows their interdiction by the Prisons Administration for the investigation to be carried out.

The prisoner, Wang Xiao, 39, was in the care of the two wardens (names withheld) during a dental check at the hospital when he escaped.

The Head of Public Relations at the Ghana Prisons Service (GPS), Superintendent of Prisons Adamu Latif Abdul disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

He stated that the two prison wardens, who were interdicted a week ago, have been handed over to the police for criminal investi­gations.

Supt Abdul Latif said per the Prisons Service records, the inmate was booked to attend the hos­pital to be escorted by the guards.

It was reported that a Chinese inmate at the Nsawam Medium Prisons in the Eastern Region es­caped at the medical facility at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Xiao, who was said to beserv­ing a year’s jail term at the Nsawam Prisons for stealing, was reported to have been sick and needed medical care at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for dental services.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the Head of Public Re­lations of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mustapha Salifu, sighted by the Ghanaian Times, confirmed that on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at about 8:00 am, the inmate, Wang Xiao, visited the Dental Clinic of the hospital, accompa­nied by two prison wardens.

According to the statement, upon arrival, they noticed that the prisoner was without handcuffs and was not in the usual inmate attire.

It said at the registration unit, the inmate paid a fee of GH¢167 as a non-Ghanaian and proceeded to the consulting room, where he was examined and an X-ray was requested to aid further management.

The statement revealed that Xiao, still without handcuffs together with the prison wardens proceeded to have the X-ray taken.

It said after the X-ray, the inmate was given a brief on the medical procedure, which was estimated to cost GH¢606.

“However, he did not have sufficient funds to undergo treatment immediately, and he was, therefore, rescheduled to come back for the procedure on February 9, 2024,” the statement added.

It said the prisoner left the hospital in the company of the two prison wardens.

The statement revealed that the inmate had since not been seen until news about his escape was heard in sections of the media, and debunked reports that the prisoner escaped while receiv­ing care at the hospital.