You are here: HomeNews2015 07 16Article 369007

Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 16 July 2015

Source: Daily Guide

11 sex workers arrested

Some of  the alledged prostitutes Some of the alledged prostitutes

Western Regional Police Command on Tuesday night arrested 11 alleged commercial sex workers in a swoop that was concentrated in the Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis.

The exercise which lasted for about three hours saw ladies from different countries such as Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana plying their trades in the metropolis being picked up.

The exercise followed a similar one conducted almost a year ago which saw about 35 alleged sex workers arrested.

With the current case, the alleged sex workers were arrested mainly around a popular night club in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

The names of the eleven alleged sex workers were mentioned as Sophia Williams, Nigeria, 35; Helena Mensah, Accra, 26; Deborah Kwatemaa, Koforidua, 25 and Natashia Osei, Kumasi, 20.

The rest were Richel Sowah, Accra, 34; Joy Yakub, Nigeria, 24; Betty Sitsofe, Volta Region, 23; Pricila Osei, Assin Fosu, 23; Rita Kwarteng, Tema; Serwah Gifty, Agogo, 32 and Veronica Kwofie, Ivory Coast, 28.

For sometime now, residents in the metropolis had been complaining about the alleged harassments by purported sex workers.

“If you come out of your car around certain areas with your family or your wife you will be greeted with calls from commercial sex workers which make you very uncomfortable,” some of the residents lamented.

Briefing journalists, DCOP Isaac Alex Quainoo, Western Regional Police Commander said the move was part of his resolve to reduce, if not eliminate the activities of commercial sex workers in the area.

He pointed out that about 18 alleged criminals were also arrested from their hideouts during the swoop.

They were arrested mainly around ‘All Needs Supermarket’ and the main Accra Station in Takoradi.

The regional police commander assured that all the suspects arrested, the alleged sex workers would be screened and those found culpable would be put before court.

In a related development, the police commander has asked a former regional boss of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) who claimed his mobile phone was seized by a policeman, to make official complaint.

The former NCCE boss claimed that a police man on duty at Appremdo barrier seized his cell phone.

His crime was that he used his phone to capture a scene of a policeman allegedly taking bribe from motorists.

He declared that the phone was handed back to him after the police looked at the content.

The victim threatened to report the culprits to the commander but according to DCOP Quainoo, he was yet to receive any report on the case.