Three policemen who allegedly induced a spare parts dealer to expel drugs he had swallowed and managed to rob him of 12,000 Euros and 1,800 dollars on Monday appeared before the Fast Track High Court.
Detective Corporal (GC) Reynolds A. Kwarteng, General Lance Corporal (GLC) Richard Dotsey Gablah and General Corporal Class Two (GC) Joseph Bowers are being held for conspiracy and robbery.
The three, who were represented by their counsels pleaded not guilty and the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Charles Quist remanded them into police custody to reappear on Wednesday, June 18.
The court earlier rejected bail application put in by their respective counsels.
The case as presented by Mrs. Valerie Amartey, Chief State Attorney, was that on April 24, this year at about 9:30 pm, the complainant Mr Isaac Opoku Akrasi was at the departure hall at the Kotoka International Airport preparing to emplane to Italy when Gablah and Kwarteng arrested him.
The two policemen claimed they had received information that the complainant had swallowed some pellets of cocaine.
They drove to the airport in BMW saloon car with registration number TG 5263 Z with one George Haywoode of the Rapid Department Force (RDF) without making entries in the Station diary.
Prosecution said at KIA, Bowers who had gone to the airport to see off some delegates who attended UNCTAD XII was hinted by Kwarteng of their mission there.
According to the prosecution, the complainant was sent to a point behind the Legon Police station and Bowers, who was in a state protocol official car followed them.
The three policemen forcibly collected the complainant's Ghanaian Passport, 12,000 Euros and 1,800 US dollars.
As soon as they had collected the money, Bowers drove away in state protocol official car and left Gablah, Haywoode and the complainant.
Thereafter Kwarteng gave the complainant three cans of Lactosoy Milk to enable him expel the drugs he allegedly swallowed.
Prosecution said the complainant was driven to Harold Lodge at Madina with view to expelling the drugs but that did not materialize.
They therefore proceeded to Biney's Bed and Breakfast Guest House at Osu RE and secured a room for him. Complainant realizing that the policemen were trying to kidnap him raised an alarm.
Prosecution said this attracted many people to the guesthouse but the Policemen fled leaving behind the BMW saloon car.
The crowd deflated the tyres of the car.
The prosecutor said the complainant lodged a complaint with the Police at Osu, the Policemen also reported to the Cantonment Police that they had been attacked by the crowd who also vandalized their car.
Personnel from the Cantonment Police Station went to tow the vehicle to the Police Station.
GNA
CKA/REA
16 June 08

NSOC 028
Social Minister Chiefs
Minister urges Upper West Region House of Chiefs to settle Wa Chieftaincy dispute

Wa, June 16, GNA - Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Minister of State in-charge of Chieftaincy, has appealed to the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs to settle the Wa Chieftaincy dispute to pave way for peace, unity and development.
He said it was not ideal for people in the region to have a protracted chieftaincy dispute in their regional capital that would affect development.
Mr Boafo made the appeal when addressing the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs at a meeting in Wa on Monday as part of his maiden tour of the region to interact with the chiefs to find out problems and challenges facing the chieftaincy institution in the region.
He asked the chiefs to be circumspect and transparent and allow the truth to prevail in their quest to resolve the Wa Chieftaincy dispute, pointing out that justice must be provided in a manner that would satisfy all the feuding factions in the dispute.
Mr Boafo said this would encourage the people to remain united as one people and help to sustain the prevailing peace in the municipality to enhance development.
He said: "You must not allow monetary gains or any other considerations to influence your judgment to give the skin to any stranger. We must choose the right person and tell the youth not to follow blindly."
Mr Boafo urged chiefs in the three Northern Regions to collaborate and come out with a strategic development plan for the area to complement government's development efforts.
He urged Paramount Chiefs to consider elevating some of the Divisional Chiefs to paramountcy to give equal hearing to the people they represent at the traditional councils, regional house of chiefs and national levels.
Mr Boafo announced that Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture had appealed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for support to build the capacity of chiefs on conflict management and transformation to help chiefs resolve conflicts in their communities.
He called on Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies to support the succession lineage of coding of chiefs in their communities to help reduce chieftaincy disputes.
Kuoro Kuri Buktie Limann IV, President of Upper West Regional House of Chiefs commended Mr Boafo for the interventions made to sustain and maintain the chieftaincy institution, especially the passage of the Chieftaincy Bill recently by Parliament.
He said the success or failure of chiefs to provide good traditional leadership and governance would depend on the adequate care given to them to carry out their duties to bring development and peace as well as protect good cultural practices of the people.
Kuoro Limann who is also a Member of Council of State and Paramount Chief of Gwollu Traditional Area said the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs had no permanent offices and the office complex being built for them since 1998 had not been completed.
He appealed to chiefs and elders to be wary of politicians who would foment troubles in their traditional areas.
"I urge you to say no to such politicians and let us also pray for an incident free election and results that would unite us as Ghanaians and as one people with one destiny," he said.
Mr George Hikah Benson, Upper West Regional Minister, noted that the cooperation of chiefs in the region had sustained the prevailing peace in the region.
The Upper West Regional House of Chiefs have 11 chieftaincy cases pending before it for adjudication.
Out of the number, five are paramount skins and six are divisional skins.
GNA
BDP/PAF
16 June 08

NSOC 30
Social Police Image
Police Service expresses concern about negative public image

Accra, June 16, GNA - The Ghana Police Service on Monday expressed concern about the negative public image created in the media about their activities and urged the media to also highlight positive activities they undertook.
Mr. Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, Greater Accra Regional Police Commander in a joint press conference with the Tema Regional Office attributed the increase in social vices to the rural-urban migration of most youth into the city of Accra which had in turn put a lot of pressure, stress and difficulties on the police in Accra.
"The men are sometimes stressed and there is the need for the public to bear with us and understand our work instead of highlighting the activities of the few bad nuts in the police services," he said and gave the assurance that the Police Administration would continue to discipline its personnel found misbehaving.
"So far about one hundred men have been dismissed for misconduct while some of them have had their ranks reduced for misconduct," he said and again urged the public to report any abuse by a police officer to the District Officer in-charge or the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) at the Ghana Police Headquarters.
"All police men who mis-conducted themselves and were brought to the regional commands attention are being dealt with by way of service enquiry and others have been before the law courts."
DCOP Opare-Addo said the regional administration had done a lot of good work to protect the public, however they had been challenged with the cases of armed robbery nationwide, especially in the city which was however under control.
He explained that to counteract the robberies, the police had organized a joint military police patrol code named: "Operation Calm Life" for both day and night to curb the menace.
"Fortunately with the increase in logistic support, these crimes and related disturbances expect a few have been brought under control," he said.
Mr Opare-Addo mentioned greed, unemployment, adventurism as some causes of armed robbery and said it was the primary concern of the police to stem the tide of armed robbery in the Accra and Tema regions.
Giving statistics, he said there was a total of 44 robbery cases in March this year , 48 in April and 30 in May out of which they arrested 19 and two killed by the police in a shoot-out.
He mentioned murder, instant justice and lynching, chieftaincy and land disputes as other issues bothering the Police Service
Mr Opare-Addo said as part of measures to control crime in the city, there would be temporary and permanent snap check points on vulnerable roads to prevent attacks on travellers.
Highlighting the challenges confronting the service, he said they had inadequate vehicles in addition to the bad roads, poor lighting system and street names which made their work a bit difficult sometimes and urged the public to help by donating vehicles even second hand ones to the service for use
He also urged the public to make their homes available for renting by the police since they had accommodation problems.
Mr Opare-Addo further said the proliferation of banks and other financial institutions had also taken a toll on the Service and said even some banks were without armed guards presently.
On their preparation for the 2008 general elections, Mr Opare-Addo said political parties had been advised to eschew violence, indecent language, hatred, enmity and acrimony during the campaign and during and after the December 2008 polls.
"The Police Service is going to be fair and firm without regards to incumbency," he said and added that, policing was not solely the preserve of the Ghana Police Service it was the preserve of everybody.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ransford Ninson who is also the Deputy Regional Commander for Tema region emphasized the need for the media to help reduce the negative media hype and also highlight the good side of the Police Service.