Cover-up on "rapist" police chief exposed

When in its Wednesday 12 June 2002 edition, The Statesman in a banner headline story, ?Police Chief marries girl he ?raped,? sought to question the basis of the Police administration?s refusal to investigate the allegation of rape against Superintendent Ashaley, Commander of the Mounted Squadron, the might of the police force jumped to the defence of their colleague.

The Statesman reported that the police chief appeared to have performed the marriage rites on the girl to cover up his alleged unlawful sex, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years behind bars. The police service, charged with the national responsibility to protect society from criminals, responded rather defensively, maintaining that middle-aged Ashaley was genuinely married to the teenaged girl.

Now, the Police chief stands exposed and the police bosses left not only with eggs on their faces but have also put the integrity of the law enforcement service in serious disrepute. Ashaley is now rejecting the young ?wife?, who now happens to be carrying his baby, as well.

This has resulted in a near brawl between Supt Ashaley and Corporal Koomson, brother of the girl with whom the girl lives at the Osu Police Barracks. Incidentally, Mercy?s brother is Supt Ashaley?s official driver.

The Statesman has a copy of the police statement alleging the rape. At 01.50 am of Sunday 12 May, Mercy Koomson said in a statement to the police that on 11 May 2002 ?at about 10.30 pm, a certain fat man driving a BMW saloon car no GW 1522 R, believed to be a police officer (Supt Ashaley) ordered her into his car and drove her to Teshie Police Barracks and forcibly had sex with her.?

But, in a rejoinder, signed by Inspector Jordan Quaye of the Police Public Relations Directorate, and published in the Tuesday 18 June edition of the Statesman, the Police Headquarters said that findings of investigations into the alleged rape drew a blank. It further implied that the teenager?s uncle, Chief Inspector S.E. Essel got it all wrong, unaware of the girl?s customary marriage to Ashaley.

?Ashaley had before her uncle?s complaint, performed customary rites to her father at Abandze in the Central Region,? the rejoinder stated. ?And that, she (Ms Koomson) was forced to the Charge Office to lodge the complaint against the police officer.?

So it is, that the girl?s brother, Cpl Koomson got a month and half old pregnant sister to contend with and an intimidating commander, who appears to be backed by the entire police machinery. In a bid to avoid the gossips and prying eyes of the barracks? residents, Cpl Koomson politely demanded that Ashaley takes his ?wife? to stay with him. This, Ashaley declined to do and an argument ensued that nearly led to fisticuffs.

In the ensuing standoff, Koomson had no alternative but to pack the girl, bag and baggage and dispatch her to Abandze in the Central Region, her home village. It remains to be seen what course of action the girl?s father will take. He is however, said to be compromised by financial sweetener offered by Ashaley to perform the apparently sham marriage rites.

According to family sources, the girl?s father was clearly hoodwinked into the apparent bogus marriage. He thought that thereafter, the girl was indeed going to share a matrimonial home with Ashaley.

It was therefore with a sense of shock and dismay that he looked on as his daughter recently stepped out of a taxicab to continue the rest of the nine-month long journey to the land of birth in the land of her birth. Some elders of the village and friends of the girl?s father are urging him to put the girl back in another taxicab and send her straight to Ashaley?s house at the Teshie Police Barracks.