Blackmail & Extortion in Kosovo

* Aggrieved officers demand probe report
* Accused Officers promoted
A group of aggrieved police personnel, who were on UN peacekeeping duty in Kosovo, are demanding the release of the outcome of investigations into allegations of extortion of monies by top police officers and government officials from the Ghanaian police contingent.

The officers said they wanted the result of the probe, instituted by the Police Council as was promised by its Chairman, Mr. B.J. da Rocha, to be made public rather than swept under the rug.

They told The Chronicle in Accra that it was necessary to publish the outcome of the investigations to clear widespread rumours that those alleged to have collected the monies on behalf of the officials had been promoted by the police administration.

On three successive days, January 6, 7, and 8, last year, ghanaweb.com carried a series of news items, which accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Minister of the Interior and other unnamed top government officials of extorting money ?by proxy? from the Ghanaian Police Contingent on United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo about 16 months ago.

The article titled, ?Blackmail & Extortion in Kosovo? alleged that it all started when a contingent of 54 personnel was given a three-month extension at the end of their original duty tour.

According to the publication, all the officers agreed to stay. However, they were shocked, when they were made to understand that, the approval of the extension was on condition that each officer paid Euro 500 (approx. $500) of his paycheck to top government officials back home.

The shocked officers were reported to have given in when their own contingent leaders, A.S.P Garibah and ASP Kontomah, allegedly forced them to pay up. The total amount collected was about $27,000.

The allegation, which was denied by the police administration, did not only attack the personal integrity of the IGP, the Interior Minister and other unnamed senior police officers, but also the Ghana Police Service and the Government as a whole.

Mr. da Rocha, on January 8, last year issued a press release to the effect that even though the police administration had responded with a full statement, which denied the allegation, the matter called for a thorough investigation, both locally and on the spot in Kosovo, to ascertain the real source of the story and whether it was true or false.

The Police Council chairman also promised that after the investigation and report, firm and appropriate action would to be recommended by the council.

However, the Council has since not come out with its findings and recommendations. This, the officers said they believed, was a deliberate attempt by the council, at the time, to stop publication of the story.

When The Chronicle tried to ascertain the complaint of the personnel, this reporter was tossed between the IGP and the Police Council until Mr. da Rocha said the council was going to issue a press release on the findings.

?I will not grant you an interview on that, I told you to go to the IGP.? Mr. Da Rocha told The Chronicle on Friday at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

The IGP also declined to comment, referring The Chronicle to the Police Public Relations Officer who was said to be on leave.

To this, Mr. Da Rocha replied: ?But then wait for him.?

When reminded that he was the right person to comment because he issued those releases, the chairman said: ?Look I will instruct the Police Council Secretariat to issue a release; the matter was investigated by the UN in Kosovo.?

Asked about the investigation that was to be conducted locally, he said: ?That one, ask the police secretariat.?

However, an investigation conducted by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Mission Headquarters Internal Investigation Section, dated February 26, 2003 by UN investigator Eyas Mahadeen, involving two of the four officers of the Ghana Police Service, who were alleged to have pasted the articles on the Ghanaweb, exonerated the officers.

Mahadeen?s report said the allegations, accusing the two of unprofessional behaviour were unproved, adding that they were based on an accusation by a Ghanaian UN security officer by name Jimmy Attengdom.

The report recommended that the investigation against the accused officers be closed as unfounded and appropriate action taken regarding the UN Security Officer.

But the main concern of the aggrieved officers appears to be the outcome of the investigation against those who were alleged to have collected the money itself.

They told The Chronicle that it was important that the police came out with their own findings to prove whether the monies were indeed collected or not.

?There is the need to get to the bottom of this matter and we are ready to assist with such investigations,? one of the officers said.