Drama unfolded in an Accra circuit court on Tuesday, when an unidentified man ran out of the courtroom after he had been pardoned by the presiding judge, apparently for fear that the judge might change his mind.

The judge, Mr Kwame Asiedu, had ordered that the man be released after a lawyer, who described himself as a friend of the court, had pleaded for him.

The man was arrested for whispering to an accused person, who was in the dock for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl.

The court was jolted when the prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Tawiah Boison, who was cross-examining the accused, suddenly screamed: "Arrest that man for me!"

The judge asked: "What is happening?" Chief Inspector Boison replied that while he was questioning the accused he saw the man, who was then standing outside the courtroom near the window to the dock, whispering answers to the accused person.

The man was swiftly arrested by security men on duty and was sent into the courtroom.

The judge asked him if he knew the accused person and he responded in the negative, but a few people at the court who knew the man, shouted: "Liar! Liar!"

The judge then ordered that the man be kept in custody in a cell at the court to enable the court to conduct investigations later to find out if the man knew the accused person or not.

When the man was later sent back, a lawyer pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy and let the man go.

The judge insisted that he wanted justice and that the case should be investigated to determine whether the man was really not telling lies.

The lawyer said he just wanted to help the man and asked if the court could allow him to advise the man on what to do.

The judge agreed, but said the advice should be given in open court.

He cautioned the man, who was shivering, not to interfere in court proceedings again and pleaded for his release.

When the judge eventually ordered his release the man ran out of the courtroom and the journalists present could not catch up with him to know his identity.