Suspected drug peddler escapes * At 37 Military Hospital

Page 3: Daily Graphic, January 12, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A 31-YEAR-OLD man who jumped from the first floor of the Departure Hall of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on August 30, 2008 to avoid arrest on suspicion of carrying narcotic drugs, has escaped from the 37 Military Hospital where he was being treated for multiple fractures.
At the time of his escape, the suspect, David Danso, was said to be in handcuffs but managed to fasten a rope to his bed and passed it through the window of Side Ward Five of the first floor of Easmon Ward to enable him to scale down to the ground.
Following his escape, six people are assisting the Cantonments Police to unravel the mystery surrounding the escape at 12:30am on Christmas Day.
They are Ebenezer Adu-Nyarko, Shadrack Bosomtwi, Felix Akologo, all of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB); Sannie Mohammed, Sgt Peter Ashong, both of the National Security Secretariat and currently on secondment to NACOB, and an unnamed Military Police officer.
The Daily Graphic in its September 20, 2008 edition reported the story of Danso’s attempt to escape from operatives of the NACOB after he had been invited by them on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a substance suspected to be cocaine outside the country.
As a result of his heavy fall from the first floor of the main airport building, Danso was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where doctors indicated that he would be on admission for 10 weeks,
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NACOB, Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, told the Daily Graphic that the management of NACOB had referred the matter to the Cantonments Police for investigations.
He could, however, not tell the state of Danso’s health before his escape.
The Cantonments Police Crime Officer, ASP Kwasi Ofosu-Aduo told the Daily Graphic that the five men had been granted bail to assist in the investigations.
He said Sannie Mohammed, who should have been on duty, reported to his superior that he was sick resulting in Felix Akologo being asked to take over.
ASP Ofosu-Aduo said Akologo claimed he went out to buy water but on his return was informed by the Military Officer that the suspect had escaped.
The Commanding Officer of the 37 Military Hospital, Surgeon Captain Roland Sowa, told the Daily Graphic that the institution that brought suspects had to provide security for them while they were on admission.
He said the hospital did not encourage the use of weapons at the wards because of the effect on other patients but that if a suspect escaped, then the officer providing security should be held responsible.
The Commanding Officer said the duty officer’s report showed that the suspect escaped at 12:30am on December 25, 2008.
At about 10:30 p.m. on August 30, 2008, Danso, who was resident in London, was the last person to go through departure formalities to board a London-bound flight.
Mr Amoah said while Danso was on his way to board the aircraft, operatives of NACOB invited him for random checks but he quickly turned and took to his heels.
According to the NACOB PRO, after meandering his way through Immigration Control, Danso jumped onto the ground floor.
Mr Amoah said Danso was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he was admitted for treatment.
While on admission, he said, the suspect expelled 64 pellets of the substance.
He said upon interrogation, Danso claimed that a United States of America-based friend, Alhaji Musah, had sent him £1,500 to enable him to meet his financial obligations in Ghana before returning to London.
Mr Amoah said Danso, however, claimed that Alhaji Musah gave him that amount on condition that he took some drugs to London on his behalf.