5 policemen arrested for extorting money from drivers

The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested and detained five policemen suspected to have extorted GH¢20,000 and GH¢18,000 from two drivers while they were on patrol duties in some parts of Accra.

The policemen, who were armed, are alleged to have extorted the money from the drivers amidst threats, and in one case even handcuffed their victim.    

Their names were given as Lance corporals Redeemer Agama, Wishwell Odoo, Evans Arawassi, Lawal Agyapong and Senate Kuvordo.

They are attached to the Operations Unit at the Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service and said to have used official police vehicles for their illegal operations.

Incidents

Confirming the arrest, the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) 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 policeman who uses the uniform to perpetrate crime against members of society," he said.

The command, he said, received reports of the alleged extortion against the five 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 policemen had intercepted an Uber vehicle on the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) road and accused the driver of being a fraudster.

They arrested him and allegedly forced him to transfer GH¢20,000 into the mobile money account of one of them.

After taking the money, the policemen abandoned the Uber driver.

On the same day, the Achimota Police also received a complaint that three policemen in an official police vehicle had stopped an unregistered Mercedes Benz on the Atomic Road.

The policemen allegedly accused the driver of the Benz 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 GH¢18,000 from an ATM for them.

Mr Boakye Yiadom said the Accra Regional Police Command was 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.