The five Police Officers who were arrested and detained by the Accra Regional Command for extortion, have been slapped with three counts of charges by the Accra Circuit Court. The officers have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and attempted bribery.
The five officers, G/L/CPL. Redeemer Agama, G/Const. Wishwell Odoo G/Const. Evans Arawassi , G/Const. Lawal Agyapong and G/Const. Sena Kuvordu were arrested and detained following a complaint of alleged extortion in two separate cases amounting to GHS 40,000 on 25th May 2021 during patrol duties.
In a statement released by the Accra Regional Police Command detailing the two separate incidents said, on May 21, 2021, a report was received at the Kaneshie Police Station to the effect that around 2:00am, the complainant was onboard an Uber vehicle from Madina to Airport, when the five officers onboard an ‘Operation Calm Life’ Police Vehicle, accused him of being a fraudster, then forcibly made him to transfer an amount of GHS 20,000 into a Mobile money account and abandoned him to his fate.
The second incident according to the Police statement, was reported to the Achimota police station by a complainant who said at 11:23 PM on the same day, he was driving an unregistered Mercedez Benz when he was stopped by three policemen at Hatso, off the Atomic-Madina road. He told the Police that the officers onboard an Operation Calm Life Police Vehicle searched his car after which he was arrested on grounds of being a cyber-fraudster, escorted to Silver Star towers at Airport and forced to withdraw a sum of GHS 20,000 from his ATM for them.
When the officers appeared at the Circuit Court on Thursday 27th May, 2021, their charges were read to them and they pleaded not guilty. But the court remanded and charged them with three counts. Their bail applications were also denied.
It has also emerged that the five officers after their arrest, attempted bribing the investigator with cash sum of GHS 2,500 to cover them up in the case, a situation which resulted in the court charging the officers for attempted bribery. An itemized bill has been sent to the Abeka district court for disclosure, while efforts are being made to arrest the civilian accomplice whose mobile money number/account was used in the facilitation of the crime.
Meanwhile, commenting on the bail application, the counsel for the five accused officers said bail is the discretion of the court therefore has nothing against the decision of the court.
He said “since my clients have pleaded not guilty, we will still push for them. The burden is now on the state to prove their allegations, we don’t have anything to do. Ours is to punch holes into the prosecution’s case”.
However, the officers make another appearance in two week.
