Fugitives back in custody

TWO ASYLUM seekers who escaped from their detention centre in Nicosia last week are back in custody after being caught by police in Limassol.

But police hopes to have the two men charged for breaking out of prison were quashed by Judge Michalis Ambizas, who argued the men were already in detention as illegal immigrants and it was not necessary to have them face another remand.

The two escapees broke out on August 21 after cutting through their jail bars with a small fretsaw.

The detention centre is located in one of the wings of the Nicosia Central Prison.

They escaped undetected, resulting in the Nicosia police chief suspending five police officers.

Indian nationals Gabriel Hugos and R.B. Sukri Ramadan had broken out of the prison between 4 and 6.30am on August 21 and had been listed as fugitives along with fellow compatriot Kumar Kishen Sunny, who is still at large.

The two men, who turned up in court without a lawyer, were arrested in Limassol after telling officers they had met with a Turkish man who drove them to a village in Limassol.

Judge Ambizas rejected CID Sergeant Yiannis Georgiou’s request for an eight-day remand to investigate the matter.

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