A senior officer of the Ghana Police Service and leader of the IGP Special Taskforce, DSP Abdul Jalil Bawah, has opened up about a ‘dark chapter’ of his professional life; a weapon-theft allegation he described as a calculated frame-up.

By recounting the events of his early service, Bawah shared the challenges of navigating false accusations within the Ghana Police Service hierarchy.

Speaking in an interview with media personality Blakk Rasta, DSP Bawah narrated the painful experience, which he said occurred during his first year in the Police Service nearly two decades ago.

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“I think basically this is a past incident that happened about some 19 years ago when I joined the police service. It was in my first year of service. I think this reminds me of some kind of pain, especially as a young man just joining the Service in my early ages, within the first year of my service, I was framed,” he said.

Explaining the circumstances, that led to the alleged setup, he indicated that he was among a group of young officers assigned to guard duties at ministerial bungalows and had been vocal about certain practices involving allowances.

“This whole issue was a frame up because I was one of the outspoken young constables within my colleagues who were all performing the guard duties of the various ministerial bungalows that were created called GTU and within that period there were some allowances they used to give us as young police officers,” he disclosed.

He further detailed how the system of allowance payments created tension among some officers, particularly over some deductions made when one misses a duty parade.

According to him, he, among others, spoke against the practice.

“But then, what happened was that every week, money comes, so you have to go and sign and then you take your money. Sometimes, if you miss a duty parade, it becomes a guarantee that they will take your money. Some of us resisted it. We argued that the deduction of our allowances was also a problem and some of us insisted that it was not necessary and for that matter it was something that amounted to corruption,” he continued.

Recounting the allegation levelled against him, DSP Bawah explained that the issue centered on a supposedly missing weapon, which he insisted he was not responsible for.

“… there was a missing weapon. Somebody booked a weapon and the person didn't return it on two occasions and it was just something that one could not understand. Why should I be held responsible for any weapon that was booked and was not returned?” he quizzed.

According to DSP Bawah, established procedures for issuing and returning arms in the police service make it difficult for one officer to be blamed for another’s failure.

He went on to elaborate on the standard process, including providing one’s name, service particulars, weapon number, among other key details, before a weapon is issued.

“We have our standard operating procedure and there's a procedure that is normally used when it comes to the issuing and maintenance of arms. Before I go in for my weapon, I must give my name, my service particulars, the weapon number that I'm going to pick, the number of rounds they will give to me,” he elaborated.

DSP Bawah maintained his innocence, adding that he always complied with these procedures and returned his assigned weapon.

“So, as a young police officer this was what I did and at any point in time my weapon was always returned. So, if somebody booked a weapon and whether the person followed me or the person booked before I booked and they don’t return it, I don't think it was something that I should be responsible for,” he shared.

DSP Bawah further alleged that the entire case was orchestrated, insisting that there may not even have been a missing weapon in the first place.

“... but the whole issue was just a frame up because I strongly believe that there was no missing weapon because looking at the whole process, my interdiction and subsequently publishing me in the Ghanian Times newspapers, it didn’t add up. They published that I was an armed robber and eventually after taking me to court they could not prove it….” he expressed.

He indicated that the case ended in his favour after the court proceedings.

“I had to be acquitted and discharged. I was taken through service enquiry within the police service, I was acquitted and discharged and they lifted the embargo on my salary. It became a big problem. I paid the price because I was outspoken and the majority of my colleagues can testify to this as they saw what actually happened,” he said.

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“The High Court in Tamale, gave an order that I should be reinstated, that my arrest was unlawful, that I was maliciously prosecuted, and then my image was defamed and for that matter, the court ordered them to pay me all my salaries and arrears with interest.

"So, eventually, I was called back to the police service and then I've been working and I've gone through all the rounds to get where I am today… So, I'm surprised that 20 years down the line, any group of people or individuals with any interest will go and recall this thing and then even peddle falsehood, not even telling the Ghanaian people the true story of what I've gone through. Anybody who sees my judgment and goes through will get to know that it was a frame up or it was a setup on me,” he stated.



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