The Accra Regional Police Command effected the arrest of five policemen have been arrested for allegedly extorting money from drivers.
They have since been detained, reports Graphic Online’s Emelia Ennin Abbey.
They are said to have extorted GH¢20,000 and GH¢18,000 respectively from two drivers.
The said policemen were on patrol duties in some parts of Accra when they allegedly stopped and extorted the money from the drivers.
The police men who were armed reportedly threatened the complainant drivers and in one case even reportedly handcuffed their victim.
Their names were given as Wishwell Odoo, Evans Arawassi, Lawal Agyapong and Senate Kuvordo, who are all constables.
The fifth person is Lance Corporal Redeemer Agama.
They are attached to the operations unit at the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service and are said to have been using official police vehicles for their illegal operations.
Victims report
Confirming the arrest, the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Afful Boakye Yiadom said the command was preparing an official report to be forwarded to the Police Administration with recommendations for the interdiction of the five policemen.
“The command will not shield any police personnel who use the uniform to perpetrate crime against members of society,” he said.
The command, he said, received reports of the alleged extortion against the policemen from two victims and immediately launched a hunt for them since their identities were not known.
Mr Boakye Yiadom said on May 21, 2021 the Kaneshie Police received a report that the five police personnel who were armed intercepted an Uber vehicle on the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) road and accused the Uber driver of being a fraudster.
They arrested the Uber driver and allegedly forced the driver to transfer an amount of GH¢20,000 into a mobile money account of one of the policemen.
After taking the money, the policemen abandoned the Uber driver.
On the same day, the Achimota Police Station also received a complaint that three police personnel in an official police vehicle stopped an unregistered Mercedes Benz driver on the Atomic road.
The police personnel allegedly accused the driver of being a cyber fraudster and searched the vehicle.
When nothing incriminating was found they handcuffed the driver and took him to the Silver Star Tower where they forced him to withdraw an amount of GH¢18,000 from an ATM.
Mr Boakye Yiadom said the command has resolved to thoroughly investigate the allegations and take punitive actions against the perpetrators.
What Graphic Online has gathered
Meanwhile, Enoch Darfah Frimpong reports that Graphic Online has in the past weeks received various reports on how some police men on patrol duties have been extorting money from drivers.
According to the reports, they normally target vehicles with DV and DP number plates and especially Nigerian registered number plates.
Graphic Online gathers that some of these victims normally carry bulk cash in their vehicles.
When they are stopped and searched, the police extort money from them without any justification when bulk money is found in the car.
