Runaway suspect jailed 2 years

A suspect, Selasie Gbee whose ridiculous escape attempt evoked surprise and laughter at the Ho Magistrate Court on Friday was yesterday jailed two years with hard labour for unlawful possession of a gun.

This case was different from the one that had him escaping from the court.

Last Friday, he was arraigned for steal­ing, causing unlawful damage and assault on public officer as Courage Emmanuel Banitsi, a different name from the one he gave in the unlawful gun possession case.

When the case was called, it came to light that he was Selasie Gbee who was wanted by the court for illegally possessing a gun.

The prosecutor told the Magistrate Court, presided over by Judge Franklin Titus Glover that on 25th May, 2016 a com­plaint was lodged at the Ho Municipal Police Station against the accused for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.

Investigations commenced immediate­ly and upon a tip off, the police gathered that the accused, who originally lives at Ho-Hliha, was hiding at Mile 48, near the Ho-Kpetoe Highway.

On 22nd July, 2016, the police moved in to arrest him. In the process of the arrest, the suspect struggled with the two police men who had gone to arrest him, biting one of at the back and damaging the other’s mobile phone.

He was however, overpowered and brought into custody. After investigation Selasie was charged with steal­ing, causing unlawful damage and assault on public officer.

When he was put before court on Fri­day, 29th July 2016; he was remanded into prison custody to reappear on August 1 after he had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In an interesting spectacle before the Judge, the accused took to his heels as he was being handcuffed but the police and passers-by gave him a hot chase, captured him brought him and back to the court. The Judge ordered that he should be charged with escaping from lawful custody.

When he appeared yesterday August 1, the Court sentenced him to two years on the issue of illegal possession of a gun.

The Court ordered that the suspect, Selasie be sent to prison to reappear on the 8th of August, 2016 for the trial of the remaining cases and charges.