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04.05.2007 General News

Police betray their own?

04.05.2007 LISTEN
By myjoyonline

In what is believed to be a deliberate ploy to cover up for a top public officer, the Central Regional Police Command has been silent over the recent assault of a police officer under the command, by a group of people in the company of the Krachi East District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr. Michael Yaw Gyato.

Mr. Gyato was arrested recently by the police officer over a traffic offence involving a car he was travelling in and when the police officer, Sgt. Holortu, tried to enforce the law, the DCE's boys beat him up.

The Chronicle says its attempts at finding out what was happening on the matter from the Central Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga and the Regional Motor Transport and Traffic Unit, had been met with hostility and a firm refusal to give any information on the incident to the paper.

Attempts to get the high ranking police officers at the Regional Police Headquarters at Pedu where the DCE together with his boys were arrested a fortnight ago and later granted bail, to comment on the situation have so far proved futile as none of them was willing to talk to The Chronicle.

Sometime last year, three police officers stationed at Gomoah Fetteh, which is also under the Command of DCOP Atinga, were brutally beaten by a group, some of who were arrested.

At the time, the Commander said her outfit was taking the matter seriously, The Chronicle said the last time it checked, “the assaulted officers had been transferred” and the police administration was yet to make public any actions that were taken to serve as a deterrent to those who could master courage to assault police officers.

The DCE is said to have confirmed the incident and tried to explain what took place on a Kumasi-based radio station and had also said in other fora that the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur had promised to go into the matter.

Civil society groups and individuals have served notice that they are keenly monitoring the police administration to see how the matter would be dealt with especially as it involves someone whom many would want to refer to as a 'big man'.

Last week, the paper 'reported that Sgt. Holortu, a police officer manning Moree barrier about two weeks ago, was severely assaulted by Yaw Gyato's boys after he had signaled the DCE and his boys to stop at the barrier for checks.

However, the DCE whose pick-up was carrying a bull to be slaughtered for the funeral of the late mother of Deputy Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Abraham Dwuma Odoom at Twifu-Praso, got annoyed and instigated his boys to beat up Sgt. Holortu.

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