Cop Threatens Whistleblower

THE MAN who brought to the fore the ordeal of a married woman who was raped by a policeman in a Tuna police cell in the Northern Region has been threatened with death by the alleged police rapist.

According to Raphael Ali Yenbapono, Project Manager of the Tuna Women Development Project (TUWODEP), an NGO in Tuna, the alleged police rapist, Constable Poku Nketia, called to warn him to desist from meddling in the case or he would have him killed.

In November last year Constable Nketia was alleged to have entered the Tuna police cell where he was the only policeman on duty that night and raped a married woman who was alone in the cell on a charge of stealing brought against her by her husband.

Constable Nketia admitted raping the woman when he was brought before the Tuna chief and his elders and paid the customary fine imposed on him to enable the rape victim, who is a Lobi, to be purified.

Mr. Yenbapono told DAILY GUIDE in Accra at the weekend that Constable Nketia warned him to discontinue assisting the rape victim in prosecuting the case or he “will kill me”.

He said he had reported the death threat to the Wa District Police.
“Currently I cannot say what the Wa police have done about the case but Constable Nketia is still a free man going about his duties at Tuna,” he said.

Mr. Yenbapono as well revealed that his determination to see justice done in the case had incurred the wrath of the Tuna Chief, Alhassan Seidu, who believes that since the Constable had paid the necessary customary fine the rape case should be allowed to rest.

He said the chief threatened to have him beaten up if he does not stop meddling in the case but Mr. Yenbapono said since his company was an entity devoted to the welfare of women, no threat or intimidation would deter him from seeing to it that justice is done in the case.

By James S. A. Kwashie