There was pandemonium at a Tema Court on Monday when the sitting judge took to his heels, after the police fired warning shots to prevent some prisoners from escaping.
Reports suggest the prisoners were incensed after their jail terms were increased. They started arguing intensely with each other, drawing a substantial crowd which pushed the police to the verge of losing control of the situation.
Narrating the incident to Citi News, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prison Service, Vitalis Ayeh said five persons, three already serving time and two on trial, appeared before the court. At the end of the hearing, the three had their times increased, one of those on trial was sentenced and the other acquitted. The four who felt betrayed by the acquitted started agitating.
"The prisoners are hardened criminals and the atmosphere created was preventing the police from taking them away and they had to shoot,"he stated.
The PRO stressed that, investigations would  be carried out by the police to ascertain if the measures used by the officers to manage the situation was the most appropriate under the circumstances.