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11.02.2009 Crime & Punishment

'Soldier' Arrested Over Recruitment

By Daily Guide
'Soldier' Arrested Over Recruitment
11.02.2009 LISTEN

Eddie Ephraim Denutsui THE ANYIRAWASI Police in the Volta region have arrested and brought before a Ho Circuit Court, 33-year-old Eddie Ephraim Denutsui for 'falsely pretending to be a public officer'. He has been granted bail.

Narrating the case to DAILY GUIDE, the Anyirawasi District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Kofi Ahiatafu said his outfit received a complaint from some residents of Tsito, the adjoining town, that someone was allegedly recruiting people for enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

He said Denutsui who was then lodging at the Tsito Workers College Hostel was subsequently arrested that same day. A search conducted in his room revealed a number of birth certificates, passport size photographs, result slips of 'applicants' and some military attires.

Upon his arrest, the accused told the police that he is a civilian employee of the Ghana Military Academy at Teshie in Accra where he had his national service from 2005 to 2006. Afterwards he was employed as a physical training instructor in 2006.

He said a friend whose name he could only give as 'Aluta' asked for his help as a physical instructor with the GAF to recruit some of the young sportsmen in the area.  

Denutsui said he explained to the 'applicants' that unlike  normal recruitments, the enlistment of sportsmen and women into the GAF is not often published in the national dailies; therefore he could only take their credentials and when it is time for the recruitment, ask them to “come and justify themselves”.

He stressed that he “never collected even a pesewa from any of them” since he could not guarantee that they would be enlisted, adding that he never told anyone that he is a soldier, let alone a colonel as was being speculated.

With the exception of one Vida Amevor, attempts by the Police to take statements from the 'applicants' proved futile since they were not willing to give any information.

Vida said she heard of the alleged recruitment from a friend and decided to take advantage of the opportunity since it has always been her dream to join the GAF. She also confirmed that no money was collected from her.

A public officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, told DAILY GUIDE that until recruitment of sportsmen and women into the army is made transparent, such criminal activities would continue to take place.

He explained that beside rare local FM station announcements, the enlistment of sportsmen and women, unlike the general recruitment, is usually not published.

He alleged further that he had information indicating that 'successful applicants' are often selected even before the recruitments officially starts, so the announcements and the 'camouflage' enlistment are only meant to throw dust into the eyes of the public.

He also accused other security agencies such as the Ghana Immigration Service, (GIS) and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) of shrouding their recruitment processes in secrecy, adding, “All we hear is that they have recruited new staff and that their training has begun, that is all.”

He appealed to the authorities to make the process transparent enough to ensure that activities of con men and women are minimized.

From Wise Donkor, Anyirawasi, V/R

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