Police as an institution is not on trial

Ho, Aug. 10, GNA 96 The Ghana Police Service as an institution is not on trial so Ghanaians should exercise patience for Mrs Justice Georgina Woode Committee to complete its work.

Making hasty judgement about any Senior Police Officer at this initial stage would be unfair, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of the Interior, said at the inauguration of a 20-member Volta Regional Police Committee in Ho on Wednesday.

He said the Service had a hard won reputation that must be protected, adding that no person or officer regardless of his or her position would be spared the rigours of the law if found culpable. The Ministry of the Interior in July 2006 established the Justice Georgina Woode Committee to investigate among other things, the alleged disappearance of part of a consignment cocaine from a vessel that docked at the Tema Port and allegation of bribery against some Police Officers after a quantity of cocaine was seized from a house near East Legon in Accra.

Mr Kan-Dapaah said the Government was committed to building a strong, reliable, efficient and modernized Police Service "to guard the country's economic prospects for the future and the survival of democracy".

He told Members of the Committee that their appointment offered them great opportunity to be part of efforts to modernize the Service and in the process make names for themselves. He said they would be remembered either with "commendation" or with "condemnation" depending on how successfully they would discharge their assignment.

Mr Kan-Dapaah, therefore, advised the Members to visit Police stations in their districts regularly to get acquainted with situations there, to be well placed in helping to find solutions to problems, offer encouragement and motivation to the personnel.

Mr Kan-Dapaah called on district assemblies to set aside a percentage of their resources to support the activities of the Service within their jurisdiction.

Mr Justice Clenn Baddoo, Chairman of the Police Council, exhorted members of the Regional Committee to explore innovative ways in addressing the needs and concerns of the Service in the Region. He said the Committee should look into the issue of accommodation, transportation, discipline and Police-Public relations and advise the Police Council accordingly.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong said the Police Administration would look up to the Regional Police Committees as channels for the dissemination of policies and programmes of the Police Council; collecting and collating ideas, suggestions and recommendations on how the Police should function more effectively in the regions and also to monitor the conduct and performance of the Police as a corporate body and as individuals.

The Committee, which is under the chairmanship of the Regional Minister has representatives from the 15 districts in the Region, a representative each of the Regional House of Chiefs; Ghana Bar Association; Attorney General's Department and the Regional Police Commander.

The establishment of the committee was in fulfilment of Article 204 of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.