Police interdict 5 officers over alleged extortion while on patrol duty
The Ghana Police Service has called for the immediate interdiction of five of its officers from the National Highways Patrol Unit for unprofessional behaviour.
The officers – C/Inspr. William Tawiah, Sgt. Ibrahim Iddi, Sgt. Richard Otoo, Sgt. Samuel Kumah and Sgt. Richard Kpeanaah – all with the Asamankese Divisional Police Command in the Eastern Region.
This comes after a driver, identified as Tamimu, was captured in a viral video invoking curses on the said officers for allegedly extorting money from him on Sunday, January 2.
According to Tamimu, he was driving a Toyota Corolla saloon car with a DV registration number on the said day when he met a Police patrol car with five officers on board.
He said the team stopped him and searched his car.
Subsequently, one of the officers said he found a wrap of suspected Indian hemp on the car’s back seat, which the victim said was planted by the officers because he did not have any such thing in the car.
He accused the quintet of arresting and assaulting him till a friend intervened and paid an amount of ¢500 for his release.
Upon the release of the video, the Asamankese Divisional Police Command initiated an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the management of the security service in a wireless message, have asked that the aforementioned officers vacate their post with immediate effect.
“All weapons, uniforms, and other police accoutrements in their possession be collected into safe custody,” parts of the message read.
The management also charged the Eastern Region Police Command to expedite investigations on the issue.
This will not be the first time an incident like this has occurred in the security service.
In May 2021 another quintet was arrested and detained for extorting ¢20,000 and ¢18,000 from two drivers while they were on patrol duties in some parts of Accra.
The Police have since pledged not to shield any of their officers should they be caught of any wrongdoing.
Source: Ghana News
