Two prisoners escape from Francistown illegal immigrants centre
Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday June 11, 2015 14:16
The commander at Gerald police station Superintendent Masego Mathitha confirmed the incident on Wednesday. He said investigations show that the prisoners used an object to cut the prison fence around lunchtime before they escaped.
“Both prisoners are from Zimbabwe. One was serving time for rape while another was on remand for warehouse breaking and theft. We are on the lookout for the fugitives because they may be dangerous since one of them is a convicted rapist,” she said.
She added that the fugitives are aged 26 and 33 years respectively.
Mathitha pleaded with the public to give police any information that could lead to the arrest of the escapees.
In April this year, the State started relocating prisoners who were based at the Francistown state prison to the Selebi-Phikwe, Mahalapye and Serowe prisons, to pave way for renovations at the prison facility. Some prisoners were moved to the FCII to avoid over crowding at other prison facilities. Mathitha said it was the first escape incident recorded since prisoners were relocated to the facility from FCII.
At the time of going to print, the public relations officer at Botswana Prisons Services, Senior Superintendent Wamorena Ramolefhe had still not responded to Mmegi’s inquiries on the jail escape.