SEVEN POLICEMEN with the Akosombo Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) in the Eastern Region and the Ayi Mensah Police Barrier near Adenta in Accra, have been arrested and kept in the custody at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters for allegedly extorting money from commuters.

The arrest, which was made on Thursday, comes barely a week after the CID Deputy Director General, ACP Vincent Dedjoe, had passionately appealed to officers to desist from bribery and extortion.

A press release signed by the Acting Director of Public Affairs, Cephas Arthur, indicated that a fact-finding team drawn from the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) and other operational units led by ASP Isaac Asiedu found the seven at separate times at their posts having sums of money on them suspected to have been extorted from the public, particularly motorists.

The seven included Inspector Nyonator, Insp P.K. Akoeda, L/Cpl Eric Akatse, and L/Cpl Adu Tutu of Akosombo MTTU.

The rest were Cpl Josuah Daystar, L/Cpl Samuel Dogbey, and L/Cpl Lawrence Konantia of Ayi Mensah Barrier.

The team retrieved an amount of GH¢108 from the Akosombo group and GH¢448.30 from the Ayi Mensah group.

The release stressed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Paul Quaye, has charged PIPS to launch full-scale investigations into the matter and submit a report as soon as possible.

DSP Arthur reminded servicemen of the IGP’s commitment to rid the service of bad nuts and bring policing in the country to international standards.

This, he noted, would win the confidence of the public.

“All facets of policing will be touched, and police officers all over the country are being cautioned to fall in line as no one will be spared the rod, if caught in the web,” the statement warned.