- “We need an independent police complaint body and with particular reference to this case [bullion van robberies], we need an independent body… Besides that, we need forensic investigation to try and establish the scope; how wide, how big, how deep, this network is within the Ghana Police Service.”
Colonel Festus Aboagye (retired), a security analyst, has called for the establishment of an independent body to probe the involvement of some police officers in bullion van robberies in the country.
The police on Tuesday (8 March) announced they have killed two officers and arrested four others linked with bullion van robberies in the country.
“We need an independent police complaint body and with particular reference to this case, we need an independent body… Besides that, we need forensic investigation to try and establish the scope; how wide, how big, how deep, this network is within the Ghana Police Service,” Aboagye told Kwaku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (11 March).”
“If we can do that, then we would have first of all solved the problem of preventing criminals from entering the service because these are the criminals who anecdotally in certain instances have rented their weapons to criminals.”
Aboagye added, “They are the same ones, who will take their weapons and go and kill. There are many instances that we can relate to; somewhere around the Ashanti Region, police officers go and kill civilians and plant evidence on them and say they are criminals.”
He, however, called on Ghanaians to help the Inspector General of Police in sanitising the police service.
Four police officers, civilian charged and remanded
The circuit court in Accra on Wednesday (9 March) remanded into police custody four police officers and a civilian arrested recently in connection with bullion van robberies in Ghana.
Their plea for bail was not taken after it was opposed by the prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare, who argued that the Police Service is still carrying out investigations into the case and will require the assistance of the five accused.
Of the five suspects, two – Albert Ofosu and Affisu Yaro Ibrahim – have been charged with attempt to commit crime and robbery. The others – Richard Boadu, Razak Alhassan and Rabiu Jambedu – have been charged with abetment of crime and robbery.
The five were picked up at a hideout after a police intelligence-led raid at Borteyman near Ashaiman on Tuesday 8 March.
The case has been adjourned to Monday 28 March 2022.
Fred Dzakpata
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