DCOP Aful Boakye Yiadom, the Accra Regional Police Commander
A number of police officers are in hot waters after being accused of robbing two civilians of a total of GH¢38,000.
The incidents which occurred at different locations in Accra involved at least eight policemen.
The Accra Regional Police Command has already arrested five of the errant officers.
Key Suspects
They were identified as No.53857 G/Const. Wishwell Odoo, No.54250 G/Const. Lawal Agyapong, No.53860 G/Const. Evans Arawassi, No.52719 G/L/CPL. Redeemer Agama and No.55300.G/Const. Sena Kuvordo, all of National RDF attached to National Operations Combat 23 Team.
The culprits, according to their bosses, are in police custody insisting in investigation.
1st Incident
In the first incident, the police said one Abdullai Ibrahim of Ashongman near the Ashongman Community Hospital reported that about 11:23pm he was driving his unregistered Mercedes Benz with trade plate number DV-2508 from Ashongman to the Legon Hospital and on reaching a section of the road in front of the Haatso Branch of Ecobank, off the Atomic-Madina road, three policemen using a service vehicle stopped him and searched his car.
After the search, the policemen arrested him and accused him of being a cyber-fraudster known in local parlance as ‘Sakawa’.
A police report said that two of the policemen handcuffed the victim, seized his mobile phone, put him in his car and one of the policemen took over the steering wheel and escorted him to the Silver Star Towers-Airport and Okponglo respectively and at gunpoint forced him to withdraw a sum of GH¢18,000.00 from his Stanbic Bank account with ATM.
The policemen after receiving the money released the complainant’s car and his mobile phone to him and left.
They said the complainant could not pick up the registration number of the service vehicle but police reviewed CCTV footages leading to the arrest of the errant officers.
Second Incident
In the second incident, the complainant who reported the second case to Kaneshie Police in Accra indicated that around 2am, he was on board an Uber car from Madina to Airport in Accra and whilst on the way, about five police officers who were armed and onboard an Operation Calm Life Police Vehicle intercepted the Uber on the road leading to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
The victim, in his report, claimed the police officers accused him of being a fraudster and arrested him.
“After asking the Uber driver to go, the police officers forced me to transfer an amount of GH¢20,000 into a momo account after which they abandoned me to my fate and left the scene,” the victim claimed.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Efia Tenge, confirmed the Regional Police Command has begun investigations into the alleged robbery cases involving the patrol teams.
She said the Regional Commander, DCOP Aful Boakye Yiadom, ordered the Regional Crime Officer Chief to personally supervise the investigations into the allegations.
“The command will not shield any officer who hides behind the uniform to perpetrate crimes against members of the public whom they are supposed to protect,” she indicated.
By Linda Tenyah –Ayettey