Policemen brawl over suspect

The Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) is investigating an embarrassing clash between some officers from the Tesano District Police station and three other police officers who had attempted arresting a man for illegal possession of police accoutrement in the Abeka Lapaz Agric Development Bank (ADD) branch in Accra.

The paper learnt that while some officers were attempting to arrest the suspect, other officers were also preventing the arrest, thereby causing confu¬sion.

The Chronicle newspaper reported that the most disgusting part of the clash was that in the end, the three police officers, L/C Kofi Annan of Protocol Unit, Police Headquarters; L/C. Ein Akpah and L/C Samuel Amable from the Armoured Squadron Unit, who were working on information gathered, were locked up for three days whereas the suspect, Winston Abamson was left to go even in the face of allegations that he was in possession of police equipment.

The Police Officer, Mr. George Laryea who was said to have provided the suspect with the gear, is currently nowhere to be found since he had deserted his post for well over a month.

The Chronicle quotes its sources at PIPS as saying that on Easter Saturday around 9:30am, the three police officers gathered information that the suspect allegedly had in his possession, police equipment and had been using it for illegal activities.

The officers also gathered that the suspect was about to go to the ADB bank so it would be the best opportunity to arrest him since they did not know where he lived.

The source said the three officers immediately proceeded to ADB for the arrest of the suspect but upon reaching the place, the suspect fiercely resisted and rather accused the officers of attempting to rob him of the money he had gone to withdraw at the bank.

Winston started screaming, thereby drawing the attention of the policeman on duty to intervene.

Chief Inspector Mensah and Detective Inspector Acheampong from Tesano Police Station arrived at the scene and cautioned the three police officers to follow them in the Police patrol vehicle to the police station whereas Winston was to follow them with his unregistered black Toyota Corolla saloon car.

The Tesano Police Officers con¬ducted a search in the car when they finally got to their office where it was discovered that Winston had indeed kept a newly introduced Police uniform in his car booth and a black polythene bag containing 32 million cedis which he claimed was sent to him by some body from abroad.

The source continued that after further interrogation, Winston disclosed that the uniform was given to him by Constable Laryea, stationed at the Tesano Police Station.

The suspect was allegedly charged with unlawful possession of Police paraphernalia and released after 30 minutes while the three arresting police officers were charged for robbery and detained until Tuesday, April 10 when the matter was forwarded to PIPS.

The three arresting officers were granted bail on the same day and later in their investigations Laryea was arrested, detained and later bailed but he has however jumped bail.

When the paper contacted the Tesano District Commander DSP, Phillip Zigah, he said the matter had been taken over by PIPS from the word go so he could not com¬ment on it.

Asked whether Constable Laryea was at large or not, he said it was too early to conclude because he must be given some time before they would be able to publish him in the newspapers as being at large.

When The Chronicle spoke with the Station Officer of the Tesano District Police Station, Chief Inspector Mensah, he indicated that Laryea had deserted his post for over one month now.

He said he had been instructed to escort Laryea to the Police Headquarters but he was nowhere to be found.

The Assistant Public Relations officer at the Police Headquarters, ASP Sephas Arthur confirmed that PIPS had such information before them.

He noted that they were about to finish with the investigation and that in due course they would make it public.