The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

ACTING Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said yesterday the investigation into how 26-year-old murder convict Ormand Leon escaped from a police bus in February is not yet complete.

DCP Ferguson denied reports that police officers were suspended for allegedly assisting Leon. However, when asked if any police officers were being investigated in connection with the escape DCP Ferguson told The Tribune: “I do not wish to answer that at this time.”

According to police, Leon escaped from a police bus on York Street, off East Bay Street, around noon on February 2 on his way to the Department of Correctional Services. He had just left a Supreme Court hearing where he was told he would be sentenced for murder in two weeks.

He was captured by officers in southwest New Providence after being on the run for two weeks.

On February 17, Leon was sentenced to 41 years, six months, two weeks and one day.

Justice Bernard Turner, in delivering Leon’s sentencing for the July 10, 2011 murder of Francisco Hanna, said the two weeks and one day of his sentence represents the amount of time he spent on the run after his escape from police custody, as well as the one day after his sentencing was originally scheduled to take place on February 16.

One week after his escape, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade said the Royal Bahamas Police Force was “looking into new devices to use” for transporting prisoners to and from the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. The commissioner also defended the officers who were transporting Leon when he escaped.

“What I recognise now is we are going to have to look at different devices because the traditional devices we have used have sometimes let us down. But this escape was not a question of whether the officers are capable, but it’s when you tell me I am going to prison for an extended period or I am going to be sentenced to death, that person then says ‘boy this is final’ and their head kicks in and that person becomes animalistic,” Commissioner Greenslade said.