By STACY MOORE Tuesday, August 11 2009

A MAN yesterday told a Princes Town magistrate, before whom he appeared charged with escaping lawful custody, that he paid a policeman to be allowed to escape and that this officer now wants him dead.

Wayne Johnson, 26, of Buen Intento, Princes Town pointed out the officer against whom he made the allegations, to Magistrate Indrani Cedeno. “He is the one behind the whole thing,” Johnson said as he pointed to the policeman.

Johnson who was rearrested in a Princes Town bar last week Friday — four days after he allegedly escaped police custody, appeared before Cedeno charged with escaping legal custody and assaulting PC Richards, in the execution of his duties.

It is alleged that on August 4, at about 11 am, Johnson was being escorted from the courthouse back to the adjoining Princes Town Police Station after he appeared on a charge of robbery. He was not granted bail since he has a separate murder case pending.

It is alleged that he pushed down two police officers and ran off. As Cedeno was about to adjourn the escaping lawful custody case, Johnson said he had something to tell the court.

Johnson: “Your Honour, I have something to say. You see that man (pointing at a uniformed policeman in court), he is trying to set me up and he is threatening to kill me.” The officer expressed shock and denied Johnson’s claim.

Johnson: “He was the man...he was a part of the whole thing and now he is threatening to kill me.

Your Honour, look at me, I have no bruises or cuts on my body. I really never escaped. I already gave a statement to the Anti-Corruption police that these police officers got paid by me to let me go.”

“I am telling you they got paid. And these fellas got paid and now they are trying to set me up,” Johnson said.

As he spoke, Cedeno was seen busily making notes. She also recorded the policeman’s batch number.

Police prosecutor Sgt Zamsheed Mohammed then told the court that the same officer whom Johnson made the allegations against, had on August 4, three hours before Johnson escaped, made a report at the station that Johnson threatened to kill him and his family. That report is recorded in the station diary, Sgt Mohammed said.

Before adjourning the matter, Sgt Mohammed assured the magistrate that he “will ensure that the police officer (against whom the allegations were made) has nothing to do with this prisoner (Johnson). I will ensure that he does not escort or handle him in the cell block,” Sgt Mohammed added. The matter was adjourned to August 12.