DSP Tehoda To Face Police Enquiry

The Police Administration has charged embattled Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda, for misconduct for her role in the cocaine-turn-baking soda scandal.

It has, subsequently, instituted a Service Enquiry against her, in line with the regulations of the Ghana Police Service.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Ms Rose Bio Atinga told graphic.com.gh Friday that the enquiry started about two weeks ago and indicated that “she (Mrs Tehoda) is facing several counts of misconduct, in line with Section 17 (K), Act 350, 1970 as set out in Legislation Instrument (LI) 880”.

Mrs Tehoda was arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on December 29, 2011 for alleged suspicious dealings with Nana Ama Martins, who was at the centre of the recent cocaine-turn-sodium carbonate saga.

The BNI, in its initial investigations, established that Mrs Tehoda’s unit had nothing to do with the case and yet she was said to have met Nana Martins several times in her office on the blind side of the Police Narcotics Unit which was investigating the case.

When asked if the court proceedings against Mrs Tehoda were not enough, Ms Atinga said the trial cases were different.

She explained that while the trial at the court was a criminal case, the service enquiry was purely civil and part of the Police Service’s disciplinary measures against personnel who went contrary to service regulations.

Ms Atinga said while it was possible the court might discharge her, the service enquiry might convict her, stressing that “the service enquiry is purely a police disciplinary procedure, just as other security agencies and other institutions have their own procedures to deal with misconduct”.

“The service enquiry is what we use to enforce discipline in the service,” she added.