Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has interdicted five of its personnel for stealing an amount of GHC30,000 at the accident scene of the late Barima Bretwum Okyre II, the Paramount Chief of Sekyere Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region.
The interdicted officers have been identified as Sub Officer Raphael Badu Dumfe (the Duty Officer) Fireman Mensah Yaw Duodu, FM Rex Budu, FM Siale Richard and Assistant Station officer (ASO) Jonathan.
The Rescue Team is reported to have responded to a distress call on December 22, 2021. to rescue accident victims who were trapped in a mangled car in a road crash at Triple Lane near Odumase on the Konongo Kumasi Highway.
During their response, the police revealed that the crew allegedly conducted spot checks on the three lifeless bodies in their 4×4 vehicle and retrieved an amount of GHC30, 000 and an I-phone from the Chief of Sekyere Kwamang, who was a police officer.
The Rescue Team, however, failed to disclose this to the police after they took over the mangled vehicle and commenced an investigation.
It is based on this the Konongo Police Command asked the Konongo Fire Service to produce its Rescue Crew to help with an investigation over ‘criminal misconduct’ which led to their interdiction.
The GNFS has also set up a three-member committee, chaired by divisional Officer Grade Three (III) Anthony Appiah, with other members to go into the alleged theft and submit its report before January 19, 2022.
A statement from the Public Relations Office of the Service confirmed the interdiction, saying that “We want to state unequivocally and put it on record that, the GNFS does not condone wrong doing and will not therefore, shield any criminal within the Service. We want to assure the general public that, any person(s) found culpable of the theft will be dealt with in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Service and handed over to the Police for prosecution.”
By Vincent Kubi