Crime & Punishment of Friday, 12 February 2010

Source: GNA

Social Wee Interception

Eastern Regional Police Command intercepts 78 bags of "Wee"

Koforidua, Feb 12, GNA - The Eastern Regional Police Command has intercepted 78 bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. The items were earlier intercepted by the Ehiamankyene Police in the Fanteakwa District and were sent to the regional command. Briefing the GNA, Deputy Superintendent of Police Augustine Luguyara, the regional crime officer, said the Ehiamankyene Police had information from the public that the 78 bags of the wee had been hidden in a bush along the roadside at Bepoase.

He said when the Station Officer got to the scene he found the stuff but no one was in sight. The Station Officer hired a vehicle and some labourers to cart the wee to the police station while he left to inform the District Officer at Begoro.

He said the District Officer had also got the information so he also decided to go to the scene and when he got there he saw the hired vehicle and the people packing the items into it as directed by the Station Officer. According to the Crime Officer, the presence of the District Officer and his men apparently scared the driver of the vehicle and those packing the wee and so they fled into the bush. He denied media reports that the two police officers pulled guns at each other when the Station Officer felt that the District Officer had come to intrude at a time he was bargaining with the owners of the wee for money. Mr Luguyara said "up till now no one has been arrested or claim ownership of the wee let alone to say that monies exchanged hands". He said investigations were ongoing on and if it became clear that the police had compromised their stand the Police Administration would deal with them according to the professional procedure and code of conduct of the service.