Bullion van attacks: IGP, bankers hold crucial meeting

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, has held a crunch meeting with the leadership of the banking industry to discuss further solutions to cash-in-transit management to minimise risks associated with moving specie in the country.

At the meeting was the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison; the Second Deputy Governor, Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi; directors of the BoG, members of the Police Management Board, the leadership of the Ghana Association of Bankers, including the Executive Secretary, Mr John Awuah; the President, Ms Mansa Nettey, as well as managing directors/chief executive officers of banks.

The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police Mrs Sheilla Kessie Abayie-Buckman, explained to the Daily Graphic that the universal banks agreed to implement the use of standardised equipment for specie and cash-in-transit (CIT) services by June 30, this year.

Background

The IGP’s meeting with the stakeholders follows the killing of a policeman on escort duties on an improvised bullion van at James Town last Monday.

The armed robbers shot indiscriminately at the vehicle, killing the police escort, Lance Corporal Emmanuel Osei, of the National SWAT Unit, and a woman who was minding her business in a nearby woodenshop at Adedenkpo, a suburb of James Town. 

The suspected robbers were on a motorbike, wielding two AK47 rifles. They made away with a safe containing unspecified amount of money, after breaking the padlock at the rear of the pick-up truck which had been converted into an improvised bullion van, and the AK47 assault rifle of the slain policeman.

The driver of the vehicle carrying the specie also sustained gunshot wounds and is currently on admission at the Police Hospital.

DCOP Maame Tiwa Addo Danquah (left) presenting an undisclosed amount of money to the spokesperson of the family, on behalf of the Ghana Police Service

Directive

The directive, Supt Mrs Mrs Abayie-Buckman said, included services outsourced by the banks to any company that performed CIT duties.

The meeting also discussed other immediate, medium and long-term measures for banks to operate in safe and secure environments.

“Matters discussed included protective gear for police officers on bank security duties, security background assessment of staff used for cash duties, security of vaults and banking premises, among others,” she said.

Assurance to police

The director of police public affairs said the police administration, therefore, had assured its officers and the public of its commitment to protect the lives of police officers in the discharge of their constitutionally-mandated duty of maintaining law and order.

Consolation

The IGP later visited the family of the policeman with some members of the Police Management Board at the Millennium City, near Kasoa, in the Gomoa East District.

Addressing the family, he gave an assurance that the police would go all out to arrest the perpetrators of the attack on an improvised bullion van at James Town last Monday.

Public support

"We urge the public to continue to have faith in the police as we keep working around the clock to protect the citizenry," the IGP stated, stressing: "We will go all out to get whoever is behind this.”

Both parents of the young police officer, with some family members and neighbours, were at the meeting at the deceased policeman’s family house.

The police presented an undisclosed amount of money and also introduced a psychologist, also a police officer, to the family to work with the Ghana Psychological Association to provide the necessary psychological support for the family.

We’re on top

Speaking to journalists later, Mr Oppong-Boanuh denied the general impression that the security services were out of touch with the realities in terms of fighting crime.

He said the entire West African sub region was experiencing a high wave of crime and that we are doing our best to protect the people of Ghana.

“There is nowhere on this earth that there is no crime, the only place where there is no crime is heaven and we are not in heaven,” Mr Oppong-Boanuh said.

The IGP added that the police administration was resolved to combat crime and not allow any threat from external sources to disturb the peace and security of the country.

That, he added, would require synergy between and among security officers and the public.

Hard hot

The family spokesperson, Mr Slyvester Sam Nyarko, said the family had been hard hit by the sudden departure of their relation who was a hardworking policeman.

He expressed his gratitude to the IGP and the team of senior officers from the Ghana Police Service for commiserating with them.

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