KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIAN police have launched a manhunt for a
Singaporean detainee facing the death sentence, who escaped from
custody in handcuffs while being escorted to court, a report said
on Sunday.
The New Straits Times said the Singaporean man was being taken
to a court lock-up in a police vehicle with two other detainees on
Friday, when he shoved an officer out of the car and escaped.
The remaining officer could not give chase as he had to guard
the other detainees.
A two-hour search at the scene, involving two police dogs,
proved fruitless.
Khalid Abu Bakar, police chief of central Selangor state, told
the daily that an investigation would be conducted into how the man
managed to escape.
'The two policemen are also being investigated as certain
procedures were not followed,' he said.
The Singaporean, who was not named in the report, was arrested
several years ago and charged with drug trafficking, which carries
the death penalty. -- AFP
