Chinese prison inmate did not escape from Korle Bu premises - Management

The Chinese national prison inmate who has escaped and sent prison officers combing the country searching for him did not escape from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital premises, the management of the hospital has clarified.

Related: Chinese inmate at Nsawam Prison escapes

Reacting to the development in a press statement, the management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in the statement issued by Mustapha Salifu, Head of Public Relations said the inmate left the hospital in the custody of two prison guards who escorted him there.

The hospital confirmed that the inmate was at the hospital on February 7, 2024 and was able to see a dental doctor.

But he left the hospital in the custody of the two guards who escorted him there.

"On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at about  8:00am, a Chinese inmate from the Nsawam Prison named Wang Xiao and 39 years of age, visited the Dental Clinic of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, accompanied by two Prison Guards. 

"Upon arrival, we noticed that the prisoner was without handcuffs and was not rightly uniformed in the usual inmate attire.

"He was processed at the Registration Unit and he paid a fee of GH¢167 as a non-Ghanaian. 

"He then proceeded to the Consulting room where he was examined and an X-ray was requested to aid further management. 

"Wang Xiao, still unhand-cuffed, together with the Prison Guards, proceeded to have the X-ray taken.

"After the X-ray, he was given a brief on the procedure to be done for him, which was estimated to cost GH¢606. 

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

"The prisoner therefore left the clinic and the Hospital in the company of the two prison guards, the management added.

Wang Xiao

The prison inmate, Wang Xiao, was at the Nsawam Prison and was serving a one-year jail term for stealing.

DSP Irene Pokuah Wiredu, Head of Media Relations at the Ghana Prisons Service confirmed the escape to Graphic Online on Monday [Feb 12, 2024] and said the service has since issued a wanted person notice for public assistance to re-arrest the inmate.

Graphic Online understands the inmate was arrested in Tema, went through a court trial for stealing and jailed one year, which he was serving at the Nsawam Prison.

The inmate is reportedly standing trial in another case, said to be serious offences.

Investigations are underway and all those officers related to the issue are under interrogation.

Read the full details of the statement issued by the management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital below:

Chinese Prison Inmate Did Not Escape from Korle Bu

1) On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at about  8:00am, a Chinese inmate from the Nsawam Prison named Wang Xiao and 39years of age, visited the Dental Clinic of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, accompanied by two Prison Guards. 

2) Upon arrival, we noticed that the prisoner was without handcuffs and was not rightly uniformed in the usual inmate attire.

Advertisement

3) He was processed at the Registration Unit and he paid a fee of GH¢167 as a non-Ghanaian. 

4) He then proceeded to the Consulting room where he was examined and an X-ray was requested to aid further management. 

5) Wang Xiao, still unhand-cuffed, together with the Prison Guards, proceeded to have the X-ray taken.

Advertisement

6) After the X-ray, he was given a brief on the procedure to be done for him, which was estimated to cost GH¢606. 

7) However, he did not have sufficient funds to undergo treatment immediately and was therefore rescheduled to come back for the procedure on 9th February 2024.

8) The prisoner therefore left the clinic and the Hospital in the company of the two prison guards.

9) We have since not set eyes on him until we heard about his escape in sections of the media.

10) It is therefore not true that the prisoner escaped while receiving care in the Hospital. 

Signed
Mustapha Salifu
Head of Public Relations