Two perish in daring prison escape

Last week’s attempted prison escape by multiple murder suspect Gobuamang Ntsuape in Francistown has left Kutlwano police station officers in shock following the death of a police special constable and a remanded prisoner.

Accounts of police at the scene suggests that Ntsuape, when transported with other five prisoners in a Toyota Quantum minibus, sprang from nowhere and grabbed the driver of the mini bus around the neck using his handcuffed hands to throttle him. The driver then lost control resulting in the mini-bus overturning and claiming the lives of a police special constable whilst other prisoners suffered serious and minor bodily injuries. As for Ntsuape, he escaped the accident with just a scratch on his head.

A police officer who was travelling inside the mini-bus during the incident informed the The Midweek Sun that the suspect caught them completely off-guard as they were not psychologically prepared for what took place on that fateful day on their way to Gerald Estates prison. The police officer who did not want to be named said that from what later transpired, it was evident Ntsuape had planned to escape from custody together with the deceased prisoner whom they suspect was part of the failed prison escape.

“When prisoners were searched following the horrible accident, some six-inch nails were found in the pockets of the deceased prisoner and Ntsuape, a clear sign that they had connived to stage the accident with the hope of escaping from lawful custody. We were unfortunate not to be murdered by the suspect as he acted very violently like somebody who had lost his mind temporarily,” the police officer revealed. The deceased prisoner who is alleged to have connived with Ntsuape has a history of escaping from police custody. About a month ago he is said to have strangled police officers who were transferring him from Gerald prison living them unconscious.

He then un-cuffed himself and waited on the road for oncoming traffic pretending that there was an accident on that scene. When a car stopped to help, he allegedly robbed the people in it and sped away with their vehicle, but would later be apprehended and returned to prison. Botswana Police Senior Public relations officer Assistant Police Commissioner Witness Boseja was cagey with information relating to the accident and insisted that preliminary investigations are still ongoing.

He avoided to answer this publication as to whether it was appropriate for dangerous prisoners to be transported in a mini-bus. “What I can only say to you is confirmation of the incident but I cannot go into details as to what transpired during the incident. A police special constable and a prisoner on remand have lost their lives during the incident,” Boseja said.