IGP Responds To Critics Over Death Of Bullion Van Robbery Suspects
In March 2022, the Ghana Police Service announced the death of two police officers who were initially fingered for a bullion van robbery which claimed the life of Constable Emmanuel Osei, a police officer providing security to the van in July 2021.
According to the police, the initially implicated officers, including Reindolph Gyimah Ansah and Stephen Kwaku Nyame, died during a raid at the hideout of their accomplices at Borteyman near Ashaiman.
The news was received coldly by a section of the public who found it “weird” for both officers to be taken to their hideout without proper protection.
This has received an indirect response from the Inspector-General of the Ghana Police Service, Dr George Akufo Dampare when he delivered a lecture on policing at the KNUST on August 11, 2022.
His response came after telecasting a video of a robbery incident in the course of the lecture.
The IGP noted that the challenges the Service faces make it vulnerable to such circumstances.
Speaking in relation to the video indirectly juxtaposed to the bullion van robbery suspects, he said, “These people (the robbers) have gone, they have run away and we don’t have a system in this country where we can easily use to identify people so you need to get these people arrested one way or the other…and thereafter, use the same people to find the others.
“At times when you are identifying them on the stretch of the operation, and only 6 bulletproof vests are available to 10 assigned police officers, people expect us to give the bulletproof vest to the criminals who are leading us to hideouts.
“When we wear it for the operation and at times, in the midst of exchange of gunshots the suspect passes on, a question comes that ‘somebody is in your custody how come he died?’”.
The IGP indicated that the criticisms of the public in that regard allude to the fact that “we (the general public) don’t understand the dynamics and we (the general public) have not taken the time to ask the serious question”.
According to him, had the country had a database as in the advanced countries, the Service would easily locate criminals and protect suspects as well.
Dampare assured his outfit is not reneging on its mandate at any time.
“We don’t take our job for granted so when issues come up, listen to our side before you conclude”.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
