COP Mr James Oppong Boanu (left), Director General in-charge of Administration, Ghana Police Headquarters presenting a certificate to Sergeant Eunice Naterkwor Okai (right), during the closing ceremony

Fifty police prosecutors undergo training

Timothy Ngnenbe Mar - 10 - 2017 , 20:40 2 minutes read

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr David Asante Apietu, has said the Police Administration is focused on beefing up the Prosecution Department of the Ghana Police Service as a means of building a robust regime for dispensing justice.

As part of the move, police officers who have law degrees will be given further training on prosecution to sharpen their skills in handling cases.

"Our target is to make sure that police prosecutors do their work diligently so that justice is done to all manner of people," Mr Apietu said in a speech delivered on his behalf at the closing session of a training programme for 50 police prosecutors in Accra yesterday.

The month-long training programme was under the auspices of Law and Development Association (lADA) Institute and funded by the United State (US), through the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.

The training

The participants, who were drawn from all the 11 police administrative regions, were taken through courses in criminal procedure, summary trial, criminal law and the 1992 Constitution.

They were also trained on how to draft charge sheet, practices in the courtroom, and how to collaborate with other agents in justice delivery.

Diligence

Mr Apietu said it was important for police prosecutors to make conscious efforts to upgrade their knowledge in order to deal with the complexities in handling criminal cases.

"Criminals should not have the window to escape because of the incompetence of a police prosecutor. In the same way, someone must not suffer in the arms of the law because of poor work of the police," he said.

Mr Apietu further asked the prosecutors to strengthen their collaboration with the Attorney General (AG)'s Department in the various regions to facilitate the justice delivery process.

"It is important to also foster close collaboration with detectives to fill the gaps in investigation so as to provide complete evidence," he said.

The Police Chief lauded the role the US had played in supporting training programmes in the country, adding that it was a giant step towards addressing crimes such as human and drug trafficking.

Investment

The Political Chief at the US Embassy, Mr Tom Lyons, said US's continued investment in security training in the country was to build a safe environment that would enhance interaction for both countries.

He urged the participants to put the knowledge they had gained to good use to promote justice in the society.