Obrein Simasiku
Three days after a Chinese man escaped from custody, authorities still have no idea of his whereabouts, despite earlier unconfirmed media reports that he could have headed to the coast.
The escapee Wang Hui, 48, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in connection with the dealing of protected wild species, allegedly slipped out of the watchful eye of a prison warden while on outside prison duty in the area of Brakwater, where they were picking up materials from a supplier. He escaped on Monday and his whereabouts remain unknown.
“We have no update yet, we still don’t know where he escaped to. We are still busy searching,” said Correctional Services Commissioner General, Raphael Amunyela when contacted for comment today.
Equally, national police spokesperson, commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, said they have not recorded any arrest yet, adding that they are still pursuing the convict and any leads. “So far there’s nothing tangible, even though this matter is more of the correctional services – we are not pre-empting any leads, even though social media posts can be misleading, we are following them. Therefore, we encourage anyone with information to contact the nearest police station,” she said.
Social media reports had indicated that Wang was allegedly heading to the coast in a sedan and later it emerged that he was being transported in a pick-up. However, none of these could be confirmed by the authorities today as genuine links. Wang was arrested along Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin and Li Xiaoling in 2014 at Hosea Kutako International Airport, as they tried to leave the country with 14 rhino horns and a leopard skin. They were found guilty and sentenced in 2016.
