[ 2011-04-19 ]

Police are guilty of extortion but… PRO
Acting Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police
Service DSP Cephas Arthur has admitted that the
Police administration is plagued with personnel
who extort monies from the citizenry but insisted
the situation could not be generalized to mean the
entire administration is corrupt.

The US State Department's 2010 Report on Human
Rights in Ghana cited the Police Service for
corruption, indicating that "the police had set up
barriers to extort money from motorists.”

The report also indicted the service of using
brutal force against suspected criminals as well
as prolonged detention of suspects.

Responding to the allegations of corruption and
human rights abuses on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo
Tuesday, DSP Arthur stated that the Police Service
accepted some aspects of the report as the true
reflection of what pertains in reality but equally
rejected other aspects because those ones were not
entirely representative of the truth.

On the issue of corruption, the Police PRO
explained that authorities of the Service - being
well aware of the attitudes of some personnel of
the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) - have
instituted measures to clamp down on the few
servicemen who misconduct themselves. He cited the
example of some personnel whose pictures were
published in the media for extorting monies from
motorists, insisting that this and many similar
actions taken by the administration showed its
commitment to reduce corruption.

DSP Cephas Arthur added that the MTTU is the
minutest department of the Police Service and
pleaded with the public not to judge the
institution solely on the basis of the activities
of MTTU personnel.

He pleaded with organizations such as the US State
Department to exercise due diligence when
investigating such issues with a focus on all
aspects of policing and all departments of the
Police Service.

He thanked the US State Department for drawing the
attention of the Ghana Police Service to its
shortfalls, promising to make corrections where
necessary.

Source - MyjoyOnline

... go Back