Minister & IGP Involved?
Top government officials have been accused of extorting money, by proxy, from the Ghanaian police contingent on United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

It all started when the contingent of 54 personnel was given a three-month extension, at the end of their original contract. All the officers agreed to stay. However, they were shocked, when they were made to understand that, the approval of the extension was on condition that each officer paid €500 (approx. $500) of his paycheck to top government officials in Ghana.

The shocked peacekeepers resisted, but had to give in when their own contingent leader, A.S.P GARIBAH and officer A.S.P. KONTOMAH forced them, through threats, to pay up. The total amount collected was €27,000 (approx. $27,000).

An officer in Kosovo, who refused to be identified, for fear of reprisals said, “We want the interior ministry and police administration to tell the whole world what they intend to use the €27,000 they have forcibly collected from us for”.

“This current government preaches zero tolerance for corruption, but in practice they connive and condone it. If this is positive change, then they should forget our vote in 2004. This is corruption at its peak, a case of “monkey dey work baboon dey chop”.

“The officers did collect the €27,000 in the names of a minister, the IGP (Stephen Owusu-Ansah) and the commissioner of administration (Mr. Boakye Appiah) and other top officers. They should all come out now to defend themselves,” he added.

In addition to the amount paid, each officer is required to pay a mandatory €1900 ($1900) to a mysterious account, when they finally get to Ghana. Since, this money is not shown in any public government record, it is believed it goes into private pockets.

“The question is whose pocket?” asked a former peacekeeper, now in the USA, who plans to launch a private investigation, with the aid of some UN officials.

“This practice started under the previous government and continues under the NPP govt. Some top officials are benefiting from a very unjust policy. It should be stopped,” he added.

There are advance plans to complain to the UN, if no explanation is forthcoming from the IGP. A protest letter is expected to be sent to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sometime soon.