Guinea’s former military government leader Moussa Dadis Camara was recaptured and back in prison, his lawyer said, denying that the ex-leader had willingly participated in a jailbreak hours earlier and saying instead that he had been kidnapped by armed men.
In a post on Facebook, lawyer Pepe Antoine Lamah said Camara was back in the Central House prison in the capital Conakry.
Earlier on Saturday, Camara was taken from prison by a heavily armed commando during an operation that sparked heavy gunfire in Conakry, a minister and lawyers had said.
At least two other former officials currently on trial alongside Camara over a 2009 attack on civilians during his presidency were also taken from the central prison, they said.
Heavily armed men assaulted the prison as the attackers managed to overpower the guards and free Camara, judicial sources told the news agency, dpa.
The prison was eventually secured by military vehicles and the government emphasised that the situation was under control.
Guinea’s Justice Minister Alphonse Charles Wright told local media that one of Camara’s escaped allies was captured and that the borders had been closed.
It was unclear whether Camara had escaped of his own free will.
However, the army described the operation as an attempt to “sabotage” government reforms and swore its “unwavering commitment” to the current authorities.
A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the masked and armed soldiers who arrived at the prison declared they “had come to free Captain Dadis Camara”.
Inside, the group headed towards the former leader’s cell, appearing to already know its location, the source said.
Another of Camara’s lawyers, Jocamey Haba, told the AFP news agency that he believed his client had been “kidnapped” and his life was “in danger”.
“He has confidence in the justice of his country, which is why he would never try to escape,” he added, referring to the trial against Camara currently under way.
The justice minister also said that Colonel Moussa Tiegboro Camara – another of the men taken from prison – had since been “recaptured”.
Tiegboro Camara’s lawyer said he had escaped from what he described as his “captors”.
Peoplesmind
