The Accra Circuit Court 2 has denied bail to the five police officers who were arrested after a complaint of alleged extortion was filed against them.
The five are; General Constable Wishwell Odoo, General Constable Lawal Agyapong, General Constable Evans Arawassi, General Constable Sena Kuvordo and Lance Corporal Redeemer Agama.
They are facing three counts of criminal charges namely conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and attempted bribery.
According to the facts of the case as presented by ASP Evans Akesse, the policemen stopped the complainant on the UPSA road and eventually coerced him into transferring GHS 20,000 to a mobile money account.
ASP Kesse also said the five serving policemen went on to give a GHS 2,000 bribe offer to the investigator on the case in an attempt to get him to drop the case against them.
Though the legal team for the policemen made a case for bail for the servicemen, with vehement opposition from the Prosecution, the Court in exercising its discretion remanded the 5 into police custody to reappear on June 9.
About the alleged extortion
The police in a statement on May 21, 2021, said a report was received at the Kaneshie Police Station to the effect that around 2:00 am, the complainant was onboard an Uber from Madina to Airport, when about five police officers who were armed and onboard an Operation Calm Life Police Vehicle, intercepted the Uber Vehicle at UPSA road.
“The officers accused him of being a fraudster and arrested him, asking the Uber vehicle to go. He reported that the Police Officers forced him to transfer an amount of GHS 20,000 into a Mobile money account and abandoned him to his fate.”
The Police Command further indicated that a similar report was made at the Achimota police station by a complainant who said at 11:23 PM on the same day, he was driving an unregistered Mercedez Benz when he was stopped by three policemen at Hatso, off the Atomic-Madina road.
“According to the complainant, the policemen searched his car, after which he was arrested on grounds of being a cyber fraudster. He was then escorted to Silver Star towers at Airport and forced to withdraw a sum of GHS 20,000 from his ATM for them.”
