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US-based Ghanaian professor and private legal practitioner, Kwaku Asare (Kwaku Azar) has said the investigation into allegations of extortion against some police officers who were part of the Axim Divisional Police patrol team, captured on video pleading with members of a gang which later attacked them, will come to nought.
His comments come on the back of a statement by the police indicating the referral of the allegation of extortion against the officers to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSP) for investigation.
One of the police officers was heard in the video, which has gone viral, telling one of the suspects: “You’re my guy.”
The suspect, however, retorted: “Why are you taking me then? You asked me to show you the thing, I have showed you the thing. You were coming to take money from the site, we gave it to you. What we have to give you, we have, you still want to take [arrest] me.”
The suspects were also seen seizing stuff belonging to the police while one of the officers knelt down to plead with the gang.
A statement issued by the Ghana Police Service revealed four persons have been arrested for attacking the Axim Divisional Police patrol team where they seized the magazine of a Service rifle together with some mobile phones belonging to the police officers on 9th March 2023.
A search conducted at the residence of Kwame Ato Asare Ani, the prime suspect, who is still on the run, led to the retrieval of three pump-action shotguns. Also, one pump-action shotgun, two machetes and eight BB refilled cartridges were retrieved from the suspect’s unregistered Honda CRV vehicle.
Other items retrieved from the suspects include two live refilled BB cartridges and one unregistered motorbike.
The suspects, Kojo Siah alias Mozey, Emmanuel Mensah alias Kofi Asamoah, Maxwell Cudjoe and Agyabu Haruna Dissawu, were arrested on 28 March 2023, for their suspected involvement in the attack.
On 1 April 2023, while the investigations were ongoing to get the remaining suspects arrested, the attention of the police was drawn to a video footage in which the said police personnel, members of the Axim Patrol team, are shown pleading with members of the gang while the gang is alleging extortion by the police officers.
The allegation of extortion against the officers has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSP) for investigation.
Reacting to this, the US-based law professor in a Facebook post on Sunday, 2 April 2023, said: “Asking the police to investigate allegations of extortion by the police is like asking a potter to be a coach.”
According to the legal practitioner, “Enkosi aga!” to wit it will It will come naught.
