Three persons are in the custody of the Suame Divisional Police Command for allegedly extorting money from traders in Kumasi with the pretext of allocating them space at the Kumasi Race Course.

The suspects were arrested by the taskforce from the Kumasi Metropolian Assembly and handed over to the Suame police.

The suspects include two males and a female.

The Public Relations Officer for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Godwin Okumah Nyame, who disclosed this to Adehye FM's Elisha Adarkwah, on Thursday, November 2, 2017 said: "We were at the office and we had information that some people were registering some of the traders at the Race Course with intention of allocating them spaces at the Kumasi Race Course.

“And you are all aware that the kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has put into public domain that we are not charging any trader or transport operator before we allocate them space at the race course."

He said the Assembly, acting upon the information, directed for the arrest of the suspects.

He said though they were ten (10), seven of them were able to run away, but three were arrested.

"As we speak now, they are at the custody of the Suame Police Station, so the police have also indicated that they are going to investigate it," he said.

He, therefore, warned the general public that the Assembly is not taking money from traders and transport operators before allocating them space at the Race Course, adding that: "Who ever will attempt to extort money or take money from traders will be arrested and will be made to face the full rigours of the law."

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has scheduled to relocate petty traders and transport operators in the Central Business District (CBD) to the Race Course, effective Monday, November 6, 2017 to pave way for the completion of the Kejetia redevelopment project which is expected to be handed over by the middle of next year.

The Assembly, led by Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, Kumasi Mayor, has since indicated that it will not take money from traders before allocating them space at the Race Course.