In Lusaka, Zambia, a drunk police detective opened the cells at a station on New Year's Eve. He let 13 suspects go free to celebrate the holiday.
Officials say Detective Inspector Titus Phiri took keys from another officer. He unlocked the cells for both men and women. Phiri told 13 out of 15 people being held that they could leave.
The suspects faced charges like assault and robbery. But they ran away after Phiri let them out. He ran away, too.
Police are searching for the escaped suspects. They want to bring them back to jail.
Phiri has not said anything about what he did yet.
Dickson Jere used to be a spokesperson for Zambia's president. He wrote about this on Facebook. Jere said it was a funny story. But it made him think of something similar that happened in 1997.
That year, a judge let 53 suspects go. They had been in jail for a long time without going to court. The judge said this was not fair. He told the suspects, "Justice delayed is justice denied."
Officials say Detective Inspector Titus Phiri took keys from another officer. He unlocked the cells for both men and women. Phiri told 13 out of 15 people being held that they could leave.
The suspects faced charges like assault and robbery. But they ran away after Phiri let them out. He ran away, too.
Police are searching for the escaped suspects. They want to bring them back to jail.
Phiri has not said anything about what he did yet.
Dickson Jere used to be a spokesperson for Zambia's president. He wrote about this on Facebook. Jere said it was a funny story. But it made him think of something similar that happened in 1997.
That year, a judge let 53 suspects go. They had been in jail for a long time without going to court. The judge said this was not fair. He told the suspects, "Justice delayed is justice denied."
