Extortion is culture in Ghana Police Service – Senior officers
Some senior police officers claim that extortion of monies from police recruits is an endemic culture in the Ghana Police Service, which is difficult to deal with.
They, therefore, wondered what would be the outcome of the investigations ordered by the police administration into reports of alleged extortion of monies from recruits at the Kumasi Police Training School recently.
Speaking in Kumasi on condition of anonymity, the officers said they also suffered from similar extortions from police instructors and other personnel when they were being recruited into the service many years ago.
Their comments came on the heels of a report that investigations into alleged extortion of money from recruits at the Kumasi Police Training School had been completed.
The report on the investigation, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Barimah Acheampong, has been handed over to the Police Administration for action.
The senior police officers contend that the report of the investigations would not yield any fruitful results, explaining that extortion of monies from recruits had been going on from one generation to another.
“I was made to pay similar amount of money when I was being recruited, so there is no way anyone can stop this practice,” one of the officers said.
They said it was such practice of extortion which was carried onto the field of operation after the recruits had finally passed out.
“Some of our men learn the practice of extortion from police training school and since no one complains, it has been taken as a norm,” another alleged.
Commending the recruits in Kumasi for what he described as “a bold venture”, they said the time had come for the Police Administration to institute measures that would prevent any form of extortion from recruits in future.
Last May, some recruits at the Kumasi Police Training School accused three out of the 12 drilling officers of allegedly extorting monies from them.
According to the recruits, the three drill officers had since January, this year, been extorting GH¢10 from each of the 232 recruits every month and anyone who complained always incurred the wrath of the three officers.
The recruits claimed that those who refused to pay the monies were punished by the instructors.
Following the allegations, the Police Administration set up the investigation team to probe the alleged extortion.
Meanwhile the recruits passed out from their training on Friday, June 15, 2012.
Their passing-out, which was scheduled for Friday, June 1, 2012, was suspended to enable the recruits to help in the investigation.
The passing-out, which, in the past, always received extensive media coverage, was carried out without any fanfare.
Source: Daily Graphic
This is not new news, it engrained in their system 40years ago. Look at their bellies and corrupt, greed, thieves they are, not appreciate and working deligently the nation they serve alligence to.. pure greed!!
its no news cos even after the enlistement this year,most of us who passed w not picked rather so call protocol listed people.