Former Fulham midfielder Derek Boateng has been arrested for flouting road traffic regulations in Accra.

The former Black Stars player was among 35 drivers including security officers who were arrested during a speed enforcement exercise by the Accra Central Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) on the Olusegun Obasanjo Way and J A Kufour Avenue in Accra.

The AMA in a publication said the drivers were arrested for driving above the legally specified speed limit of 50 km/hr at which a vehicle could drive in the city with the Laser Cam 4-speed detection device donated to the Accra Central MTTD by the BIGRS through the AMA.

Boateng's arrest

A video of Boateng's arrest published by the AMA indicates that he was unable to produce his driving licence after his arrest.

The Police on duty did not listen to his pleas of "being a national asset" and insisted that he drove his black Range Rover Sport vehicle to the Nima Police Station.

"I am a national asset, so I cannot run, you know... But, the way you guys are treating me, it's like I am a stranger or something like that, I am not going anywhere," Boateng pleaded following his arrest on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

Boateng, 38, made 47 appearances for the Black Stars and scored one goal.

He also went on to play for 13 European clubs including Panathinaikos, FC Cologne and Beitar Jerusalem after his youth career with Accra-based Liberty Professionals.

Other drivers

Thirty-one of the drivers were later sent to the Nima Police Station and processed to the La Motor Court after which they were fined a total amount of GHS8,460 while four others are still pending before the court.

Speaking in an interview after the exercise, Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah cautioned motorists to comply with the 50km/h and 30km/h speed limits in urban and school areas respectively as stipulated in Ghana Road Traffic Regulations (L.I.2180) when plying the city's roads.

"Within the city, you can't drive more than 60 kilometres per hour, and more especially where cars and human traffic mix you can't go beyond 30 kilometres per hour.

He said research suggests that speeding accounts for major road traffic deaths adding that driving within the prescribed speed limits would go a long way to help reduce the high rate of road crash fatalities and injuries recorded in the city.

"The Department of Urban Roads has mounted speed limits across the city of Accra but people hardly comply... Recent survey and research suggest that speeding is the main cause of road crashes and fatalities and we have to be very serious about it because the numbers are alarming and it's becoming a public health crisis," he said.

He also cautioned motorcyclists to wear helmets at all times, respect road traffic regulations by not jumping red lights.

He assured that the exercise would continue at all flashpoints in Accra where crashes were mostly recorded stressing that its ultimate aim is to record zero crashes.

The Commander of the Accra Central MTTD, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP ) Martin Ayiih, used the opportunity to admonished motorists to slow down and drive within the posted speed limit to avoid arrest and prosecution.