Extortion in Kosovo: Police Council Begins Investigation

The Police Council said on Friday that it has appointed a team of investigators to probe allegations in a news item on the Internet that top police and government officials were extorting money by proxy from the Ghanaian police contingent on UN peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

A statement issued by the Chairman of the Police Council, Mr Bernard Joao da Rocha said the team would investigate the allegations inside the country. In addition, a high-ranking official is to be dispatched immediately to Kosovo to work in collaboration with the UN authorities there to investigate and report to the Council. Mr da Rocha said after the investigation and report, firm and appropriate action will be recommended by the Council.

Mr. da Rocha said the allegations on the Ghana Home Page website carried on January 6-8 do not only attack the personal integrity of the IGP, the Acting Minister of the Interior and unnamed senior police officers, but also the Ghana Police Service and the government itself. The Police Administration has denied the allegations. He said the Council will like to point out to the proprietors of the Ghana Home Page Website that the publications made on these three consecutive days are highly defamatory and that at the appropriate time they will be expected to substantiate them.

He said the Council is of the opinion that the proprietors of the Website cannot take refuge in anonymity of informants to publish defamatory material against specified individuals. Mr. da Rocha said the Police Council suggests that the proprietors of the website should publish the statement of the Policed Administration denying the allegations.

GhanaHomePage Replies

The GhanaHomePage source did NOT accuse the acting minister of interior. The minister in the original article was not named. (READ)

GhanaHomePage will follow the investigations closely. We have made a calculated guess (and continue to gather more information) on money collected from peacekeepers, Military Officers on Military Observer missions and Military, from 1994 to date. We are interested to know how money "taken" from peacekeepers, for the so called "development fund", are used to the benefit of the nation/police/military. This is all in line with president Kufuor's call for transperancy & "Zero Tolerance".

We are prepared to substantiate our allegations, but OUR sources will NEVER be revelead. How? Does "WATERGATE" ring a bell? We still don't know "deepthroat", but Nixon resigned.

Questions for the police council

• Was the 500Euro collected from peacekeepers?
• How many peacekeepers have so far contributed to the development fund?
• Who has since been the Administrator of this fund?
• How much is in the Accounts( if there is something like that)
• How much was used to purchase GP 1047 & GP 1048 which the Staff Officers(Mr.Asiedu & Mr.Boanu) are saying they bought.
• How many computers were bought by Mr. Asiedu (then Staff Officer) when he told reporters in Ghana that the Development Fund was being increased from 500 to 1000 Euros because a computer poll is to be set up.
• Where actually is the Computer poll?
• Mr. Asiedu also told the reporters that part of the Development Fund was to be used to pay relieve allowances for Senior officers who take up duties of those who travel on peacekeeping. How much have been paid and who are the beneficiaries?