Accra, Sept. 27, GNA - Four Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officials from the Tema Harbour Car Park who were arrested for conspiracy and extorting GH 2,000 cedis (20 million cedis) from an importer were on Thursday granted 10,000 GH cedis (100 million cedis) bail each by an Accra Circuit Court.

Alphonse Quainoo, Cornelius Amedudze, Emmanuel Ayi Hammond and Samuel Nyarkotey Tei pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are to reappear on October 25.

Mr Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, counsel for the four, prayed the court to admit his clients to bail saying the facts denoted that the exercise the security agencies embarked on was a bait. He denied that his clients extorted money from a complainant whom prosecution had failed to mention. Mr Owusu-Fordjour said the charges were flawed because the victim or the complainant had not been mentioned.

"How can somebody walk into an office, put money on your desk, walk away and say that we have extorted money from him?" he asked. According to Mr Owusu-Fordjour extortion connoted the use of influence to take money from someone.

Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr George Abavelim said investigations into the matter were still going on, adding that the prosecution had evidence that would stand the test of time. When the court admitted them to bail, ASP Abavelim prayed the court to order the accused persons to report to the Police every Wednesday. Many sympathisers of the accused persons, including relations and colleagues, filled the court.

ASP Abavelim told the court that on September 19 security operatives went to the Tema Car Park following complaints that some people were extorting money from importers. During the operation, the security personnel arrested the four CEPS officials in their offices and when a spot check was conducted cash of GH 2,000 cedis was found in the drawers of Quainoo and Amedudze. The prosecutor said security personnel took the serial numbers of the money before it was sent to the CEPS officials. The prosecution alleged that Quainoo said the GH 2,000 cedis belonged to him and his colleagues.

Amedudze also said GH cedis 587 was his earning from tips from clients.