The Ministry of Justice through its information section has announced that five inmates out of 47 inmates who broke jail last week have been re-arrested.
Massive jailbreak occurred at the Kakata Central Prison in Margibi County on Sunday.
Abigail T. Gbassagee, the Director of Press at the Ministry of Justice told the Ministry of Information's regular press briefing Tuesday that two of the inmates were immediately apprehended after the jailbreak while three others were recaptured subsequently.
At the same time, the Ministry's public affairs director has denied media reports that about 100 inmates escaped from the prison center and that escaped with cutlasses.
47 inmates escaped from the Kakata Central Prison after they refused to return to their prison cell after a search for cellphone was conducted by the prison superintendent, she said.
She indicated that about 5pm on Sunday, the Superintendent of the Prison Center, Nelson B. Ward received intelligence that one of the inmates had a cellphone something that prompted him to order a search as it is regularly done at the facility.
Madam Gbassage averred that one of the blocks which contained 11 inmates was the suspected block where the cellphone was alleged to be and the inmates were asked to move to another place for the block to be searched.
During the search, she said, a 'CICCO' phone containing two sim cards was retrieved and the prison superintendent ordered the inmates to get back into the cell, but they refused and started acting disorderly thereby leaving the prison superintendent with no other alternative but to call on the Police for help.
The MOJ Press Director also explained that before the law enforcement officers could arrive on the scene, the inmates had already overpowered the 13 prison officers and flee in different directions.
Meanwhile, Madam Gbassagee has disclosed that the inmates were jailed for the different crimes they reportedly committed, some were sentenced and others were in pre-trail detention.
"Of the 47 inmates, four were sentenced, one charged with aggravated assault, three charged with armed robbery pending trail, four charged with burglary, one charged with contempt of court, one charged with disorderly conduct, and one with manslaughter," she said.
The lady continued that six were charged with misapplication of entrusted property, five charged with murder including one convicted, three charged with statutory rape, one charged with terroristic threats, fifteen charged with theft of property including three convicted and two charged with drug related offenses.
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She noted that twelve of the escapees are between the ages of 18 to 21 years while seventeen are between the ages of 22 to 25 years, and 10 between the ages of 26 to 35 as well as seven 3between the ages 36 to 53 years.
The Ministry said it has instituted several measures to help the officers at the Kakata Central Prison with the investigation including the deployment of 13 additional correction officers which include investigators from the Monrovia Prison Center.
It also said it has positioned correction officers from the Kakata Central Prison who are familiar with the escapees at different areas such as the Salala and 15th Gate checkpoints, the Firestone belt as well as major areas within Kakata to gather intelligence to assist with the search.
