Sergeant Rockson Baffour, the officer who was on duty at the Community 22 Police Station when 14 suspects escaped from lawful custody at dawn on Monday, is to produce the suspects within 10 days.
�By our regulations, we will have to give him 10 days to produce those who have absconded,� Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Augustine Gyenning, Tema Regional Police Commander, stated on Tuesday.
He told newsmen that he has ordered the release of Sgt. Baffour from police custody to pursue his new found assignment.
ACP Gyenning said he ordered the arrest of the police officer to find out whether the circumstances that led to the escape of the suspects were avoidable.
He said records showed however that Sgt. Baffour had not connive with anyone in anyway but that he was quite unprofessional in his conduct at the time of the incident.
When asked what fate would befall Sgt. Baffour if he failed to produce the escapees, the Regional Commander responded: �we are going to deal with him according to Police Regulations�.
ACP Gyenning said according to the regulations, disciplinary action by way of service enquiry, would then be taken against Sgt. Baffour adding that he could be tried after which the necessary punishment would be meted out to him.
According to him, any captured escapee would be charged with a felony of �escaping from lawful custody�, after which he would be prosecuted for the substantive crimes for which he was detained.
He appealed to the public to assist the police with vital information that could lead to the re-arrest of the suspects.
According to Police accounts, on the dawn of Monday, 16 suspects in custody at the Tema Community 22 Police station, broke cell and escaped from lawful custody when the police sergeant on duty attempted to send food to one of them.
Two of them were, however, re-arrested by the Tema Night Patrol Team, while the remaining 14 were now at large.
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