Extortion In Kosovo: The Aftermath

UN Cancels Peacekeeping Selection

CONTRARY TO allegations that the United Nations (UN) police peacekeeping operations have been cancelled because of a bribery scandal, Chronicle investigations have revealed that the exams were transparent.

The paper gathered that the tests were cancelled because the police combined two examinations under the supervision of the same group of invigilators. In the middle of March, a group of UN Rotation Officers came to Ghana to conduct entrance examinations with the view of recruiting competent police officers to teach in schools in the war-torn areas of Sierra Leone.

In the course of the exams, a request came from the UN that another set of police personnel be selected for a peace-keeping mission in Kosovo, so the police sought the assistance of the UN invigilators who were already in the country to supervise the entrance examinations for the Kosovo peace-keeping force.

Further investigations also revealed that the UN officials agreed to supervise the police in the audio comprehension examinations, and during the shooting exams they left the examination hall to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to supervise.

Fifty-five personnel were selected to go for the peace keeping mission but after the selection, a letter came from the UN indicating that the rotation officers did not have the mandate to supervise the examinations for the Kosovo mission.

As a result, the examination was declared null and void and so it was cancelled.

Speaking in an interview with Chronicle, the public relations officer of the GPS, ASP David Eklu, debunked allegations that the exams were cancelled as a result of corruption of the police officials who supervised.

He stated that it would be very difficult for any police officer to take bribe from any staff sitting for the exams, since the UN conducted it under strict supervision.

He said the GPS would not engage itself in malpractices that would blemish the hard-earned image it had attained in UN peace-keeping missions.

He noted that the GPS has contributed greatly to the missions in Kuwait, Bosnia, Namibia, the Western Sahara, Sierra Leone, East Timor and Kosovo.

ASP Eklu said over the years GPS had held high positions in UN peace-keeping and currently the head of the UN civilian police in Sierra Leone, is a Ghanaian.

Also the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Alhassan, has been occupying the position for over five years as head of the UN police in NewYork.