Court remands 5 policemen for extorting money from drivers

The five policemen arrested for allegedly extorting money from a businessman have been remanded in police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.

They are Constables Wishwell Odoo, Evans Arawassi, Lawal Agyapong and Senate Kuvordo and Corporal Redeemer Agama.

The Police Administration has also interdicted them.

They were attached to the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) at the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service and are said to have used official police vehicles, while armed for illegal operations.

The policemen have been accused of extorting GH¢20,000 from a student and businessman.

The court, presided over by Ms Rosemary Baah, remanded the accused persons after they pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

Charges levelled against them include conspiracy to commit crime, robbery and attempting to bribe and influence public officers.

The four lawyers representing them, led by Mr Andy Vortia, prayed the court for bail but the court declined. They are to reappear on June 9, 2021.

Background

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Evans Kesse told the court that on May 21, this year, a complainant reported to the Kaneshie Police that the five police personnel intercepted the Uber vehicle he was riding in on the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), road and accused him of being a fraudster.

The accused persons removed him from the Uber vehicle and put him in the Operation Calm Life vehicle the policemen were using. 

They allegedly forced him to transfer an amount of GH¢20,000 from his Ecobank account into the mobile money account of a civilian accomplice who joined the police team later.

Arrest

Investigations led to the arrest of the suspects and an amount of GH¢20,000 was retrieved from them. They also attempted to bribe the investigators with a cash sum of GH¢25,000 and that amount was retained as exhibit in the case.

The court heard that efforts were underway to arrest their civilian accomplice whose mobile money account was used.

The Accra Regional Police Command said it was also investigating another report filed at the Achimota Police Station against three policemen who used the same modus operandi to extort money from another complainant.

The three policemen in an official police vehicle stopped an unregistered Mercedes Benz on the Atomic-Haatso road and allegedly accused the driver of being a cyber fraudster and searched the vehicle.

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 for them.

Read also: 5 policemen arrested for extorting money from drivers