Extortion In Kosovo: Threats, Lies & Scapegoats

THREATS: IGP Vows to Punish Detractors: The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nana Owusu Nsiah, has cautioned that he would not spare any officer, either junior or senior, in the Police Service, who accused the Ag. Interior minister, Finance minister and himself of extorting money from police officers to extend their peace keeping operations in Kosovo.

The IGP warned that such officers would face an instance dismissal to serve as deterrent to other police officers with 'okro' mouths.

Nana Nsiah said this while addressing officers and men of the Brong Ahafo regional police command at Sunyani.

The IGP claimed to have received reliable information from someone on a telephone, who described himself as a friend of the police, that there are two senior officers in his own (IGP) office who are pushing some two junior officers currently serving at Kosovo to implicate the Interior minister, Dr. Addo Kufuor, Finance minister, Mr. Osafo Maafo, and himself because they initially taught he, Nana Nsiah, would fail as an IGP.

According to Nana Nsiah those senior officers are doing that just because Addo Kufuor and Osafo Maafo are supporting him to restructure the police institution.

To ensure genuine inquiries into the alleged extortion, the IGP said his administration would not appoint the police to conduct an investigation into the matter, but the BNI and a research team in the police service who are independent are investigating the issue.

He told the police personnel that the two junior officers in Kosovo have been invited to meet the investigation team.

The IGP warned that, if it is established that the two junior officers said this without any evidence to substantiate their allegation, they would be severely dealt with. The IGP who is also mawerehene of Berekum Traditional area asserted that being a traditional ruler, his image is of great concern to him and for that matter he would not do anything to tarnish it.

He said that if these two senior officers whom his informant said are in his office are truly behind the act they would be sacked or he would resign from the service to maintain his hard won reputation.

WHY THE THREATS?: UN Worker Challanges IGP :
No Police investigator has talked to me, who broke this story. So, I wonder how the IGP came by the above conclusion. Secondly,
Mr. IGP stop targetting the wrong people. You should rather investigate why money is being "extorted" from peacekeepers.

POSITIVE CHANGE?: ....:
This revelation should rather make the IGP ashamed of himself: What does that tell us ? that descipline has broken down, period !!!
That those spreading rumours and lies would be dismissed after the investigation leaves much to be desired, especially coming from such a personality. Is the IGP not threathening those who may come forward to testify ?

MORE LIES (by juzum Bali..): IGP Hits Below the Belt:
The sitting IGP is reported to have said in Sunyani that constables were before his administration not being allowed to go on peacekeeping. My respected IGP has severely hit below the belt. Please check your facts very carefully. It is unfortunate Ghana leaders always want to degrade their predesessors. I know for sure constables and corporals have on numerous times made it to missions. Please Mr. IGP, you are not a politician. Leave that for them to do.

LETTERS: From Peacekeeper
I am also a peace keeper in Kosovo from Ghana. The son of "Agelikaklo seller" and unknown father. I had wanted to hold my peace because nobody listens to "Koti" but I found the coment by the Inspr. at Pristina Detention Centre interesting reading and want him to note few things.

First of all, I want him to know that those politicians he claimed are millionires who left their 25,000 dollar jobs for the sake of Ghana takes per diem when they travelled and do not refund them. But we the poor policemen who are also on official duty are to refund 300 dollar per diem given us. Even our president whom I believed is also a millionaire also receives per diem when he travels. Infact, if I am not mistaken, his have been increased recently.

For his information, the U.N is paying for the uniform and the weapons we are using here so why asking us to pay for the uniform if they are not out to cheat us.

You said we are not forced to sign the undertaking to pay 1,900 dollars on our return. Then why do they always wait till the last day when you are ready to emplane before they ask you to sign. Please do not be deceived by the small money you are receiving here to allow the Police Adnimistration or anybody to cheat us. Believe me, even if we were not to receive any allowance here, Ghana Govt. would send us any away because Ghana is a member of U,N. and you can not refuse.

You are lucky you were given sleeping bag but what about those of us who were not given and yet are to pay the same 600 dollars like you. I would not have bothered to pay the 1000 dollars if they were puting the money into good use. They started taking the money from those who returned from Cambodia ten years ago. What did they use the money for?

They claimed they bought two 4x4 vehicles, for how much and where is the computer pool?
For the 500 Euros your group were forced to contribute, I believed you are not aware because you were part of the decision makers to extort money for the senior Police Officers in Ghana so that you can be in their good books.Please, do not try to fool anybody. Be ashamed of yourself. It is people like you who are retarding the progress of our country. For once, let us be bold and call a spade a spade and put an end to the curruption in Ghana Police Service.

LETTERS: WHY COMPOL. MR. KWASI NKANSAH IS SO QUIET? :
MR. KWASI NKANSAH MUST TALK. OBAMABA, NANA NKASAH, WHY ARE YOU QUIET. COMPOL. TALK, TALK, LET THE WHOLE WORLD HEAR YOUR VOICE.

K.K.K IS BACK. Attention. H E MR.PRESIDENT. HON Minister of INTERIOR. HON Chairman of the Police council, Director BNI and MR. IGP. RE-EXTORTION.

It's my pleasure to coment on the above issue since it started.I have delibrately kept mute over the whole thing but it appears things are going the wrong way hence my decision to add my voice.

I am peacekeaper in one of the mission and it may interest you to hear this piece of information from me. Before my contigent emplaned for the mission we were met by two schedule officers namely Mssrs KWASI NKANSAH and SARFO KWARTENG respectively at the conference hall of the Cafeteria at the Police Hqrs.It was there that Mr. Kwasi Nkansah made it clear to us that the Police Admn. in consultation with the PRESIDENT AND THE POLICE COUNCIL. Every peacekeaper is to pay $300 USD as uniform charges,$300 USD Refundable per diem and $ 1000 USD as development fund. Total $1600.00 USD For EAST-TIMOR Contigent, whilst those to Kosovo $600.00 USD as Winter clothing addition to the $300.00 refundable per diem and the 1000 USD as development funds. Please Mr. DA ROCHA May I know if per diem allowances given to officials performing duties in the name of thir nation are refundable?

Or uniforms supplied to personnel are also for saleI believe the answer is perfectly NO. The was a heated arguement over this pronoucement. Mr. Kwasi Nkansah then said that whoever feels he/she cannot abide the rule shuold submit his/her name for replacement. At this juncture One of the men in the EAST-TIMOR contigent rose up to say with DUE respect that there is no DEMOCRACY IN POLICE SERVICE. So we should leave it. His Excellency, all these are been said not to tarnish the smooth administration of the IGP but it appears the truth is always shelved.
HON MINISTER. Kindly come to the aid of your poor souls. The IGP shuold keep his cool usual self as no one has any axe to grind with him. We only want the proper thing to be dane during this Possitive Change era.