FOUR OUT of six remand prisoners who escaped from lawful custody have been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each by an Accra Circuit Court.

The prisoners were being transported to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison on Wednesday October 12, 2011 when they escaped from the police vehicle they were in.

The four accused persons- Dominic Kofi Anim, Kobina Dzemado Azumah aka Thunder, Stephen Quainoo aka Paa Kwesi or The Boy, and Stanley Goka Gameli- pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and escaping from lawful custody. Quainoo was additionally charged with causing damage.

Before they were convicted, they pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy. Anim informed the judge that he was severely beaten by the police when he was arrested; so when they were being conveyed to Nsawam, he had the impression that a similar incident would occur, hence his decision to escape.

Quainoo on the other hand said he did not conspire with the others to escape and that when he saw the door open and his colleagues running out, he decided to join them.

Stanley, interestingly, said he only jumped from the vehicle but was apprehended by the police before he could make any further move.

The trial judge convicted them on their own plea and sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment each.

DSP Idan Dery informed the court that on October 11, 2011, the accused persons were remanded in police custody on robbery and other related offences to re-appear on a later date.

However, the following day at about 8.00am, when the accused persons were being conveyed on the Police Service escort vehicle with registration number WR1987W to Nsawam, they hatched a plan to escape.

The vehicle was reportedly being driven by one Detective Lance Corporal Francis Yeboah, with three police escort team accompanying the prisoners.

While on the way, Dominic broke the iron bar of the seat and used it to damage the locks of the door of the vehicle so when the vehicle got stuck in traffic in an area between Pokuase and Doboro, the accused persons and two others got out of the vehicle and escaped.

The residents of the two towns assisted the police to chase them; and consequently, the four were re-arrested while two escaped.