Massive `wee` cultivation in Krobo District DCE FIRES POLICE IGP RESPONDS… sends crack team to Koforidua to probe allegation

Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, Inspector General of Police (IGP)

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Paul Tawiah, has dispatched a crack team of investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) to Yilo Krobo in the Eastern Region to investigate alleged police involvement in the cultivation of Indian hemp (wee).

The team is supposed to officially begin their investigations today, by inspecting the areas used for the cultivation of narcotic substance, and as well contact the District Chief Executive of Yilo Krobo, Mr. Andrews Sodah, who made damning allegations that the police in the area have been conspiring with some farmers to indulge in the illegal business of cultivating marijuana.

The DCE, had in a publication in yesterday's edition of The Daily Democrat, an Accra-based tabloid, indicted the former Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Anko-Bil and the New Juaben Commander, Supt. John Naami for their inclusion in the narcotic drug cultivation.

Speaking to The Chronicle in an interview in reaction to the outburst of the DCE, the Police Public Relations Director, DSP Samuel Kwesi Ofori indicated that the IGP has directed the Director General of CID to assign a special unit to probe the damning allegation against the police in his area. Specifically, the

DCE alleged that the police in his district have been condoning “wee” cultivation by collected bribes from cultivators of the narcotic substance. The Director of police Public relations said the CID would deal with the criminal perspective, and PIPS would deal with the conduct aspect of the police. “The IGP views the allegation as a very serious matter, especially, as it comes from no less a person than the District Chief Executive who is also the head of the District Security Committee (DISEC),” DSP Ofori stressed.

DSP Ofori was not happy that the DCE made the allegation in the media without recourse to the police or any other security agency. He however, intimated that in line with the policy of the police to accept all manner of complaints from members of the public, the IGP has called for the immediate investigation of the matter.

“We expect that the DCE, who chose to make his complaint through the media instead of the appropriate agency, will cooperate with us when we get to the area to investigate the matter,” he said.

He cautioned members of the public to report issues regarding narcotics to the appropriate agencies, including the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB), the police, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security Council (NSC), than laying it bear in the media.

DSP Ofori concluded by assuring the public that the matter would be handled professionally.

The Daily Democrat newspaper published in its yesterday's edition that the DCE had implicated the police for collecting huge sums of monies from the farmers to protect them from prosecution. The DCE was reported as saying he had in his possession, impeccable evidence to buttress his allegations against the police.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Region, when the paper contacted the Police Command to react to the publication, the Regional Police PRO, Chief Inspector Christopher Taiwan, only said the police administration would advice itself when it comes out that the allegations were untrue.

“The allegation by the Hon. DCE will make mockery of the police administration which would affect the smooth operations of the Police in the Region, since residents would lose confidence in us,” the regional police PRO lamented.

When the New Juaben Divisional Police Commander, Superintendent John Nami was contacted, he said: “I will not comment since I have not been granted the permission to talk to any media practitioner.” But when pressed further, he said he did not believe the allegation by the DCE had any merit and described it as ridiculous and unfortunate.

The DCE refused to comment on the matter when he was reached on phone, since according to him, a committee of enquiry had been established to investigate the case.