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General News of Thursday, 9 August 2001

Source: The Independent

Police escort "Wee" peddlers.

The image of the Ghana police service was given a further dent last week when the chief of Swedru, Nana Kobena Botwe II told a stunned audience at this year’s Akwambo Festival that the Swedru police escort ‘wee’ (marijuana) peddlers to send the drug to their destinations.

“I myself know and can pin point some policemen who escort cars packed with marijuana in the streets and across the town to their destinations,” he told the audience that included Vice President Aliu Mahama and Interior Minister, Malik Yakubu Alhassan.

Nana Botwe openly stated that the Swedru police are very corrupt and are in the habit of taking bribes from all who approach them for their services, thus seriously affecting their work.

He also disclosed that the police openly tell complainants that their pens have run out of ink meaning the complainant has to give some money to enable him fill the pen with ink.

He therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police to consider transferring all policemen and women who have stayed at Swedru for the past six years, saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” adding that, “their work is just unsatisfactory.”