Accra, June 14, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court hearing the case of four Policemen accused of extorting money from two persons, who were alleged to be in possession a quantity of cocaine on Tuesday admitted them to 200 million cedis bail each with a surety to be justified.

Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo and Karimu Osuman, Ebenezer Ogbordjo and J. K. Mensah, all Lance Corporals, were alleged to have extorted 18,000 dollars, 600 pounds and three million cedis from the people. Derrick Osei Owusu, a Soldier with the British Army and Leonard Benafo, a Student, from whom the money was extorted for allegedly having in their possession narcotic drugs were also admitted to 500 million cedis bail each with a surety to be justified with a landed property, situated at a first class residential area. The two, who were charged for illegal possession of narcotic drugs, had pleaded not guilty. The Court ordered them to report twice a week to the Police Regional Criminal Investigation Department and to surrender their passports to the Court's Registry, while the substance found with the accused should be forwarded to the Ghana Standard Board to determine its value and weight. Accused persons are to reappear on June 21. Earlier, Defence Counsels prayed the Court to admit their clients to bail because they had been incarcerated for sometime.

The case as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Abichab Boye was that at about 1400 hours on May 27, 2005 the Regional Criminal Investigation Department, Accra, had information that the four Policemen had arrested Owusu and Benafo at Papillon Hotel at Laterbiokoshie in Accra with a quantity of cocaine and were demanding 60,000 dollars from them to drop the case. The Prosecution said a team of Policemen trailed the accused persons to Glens Discotheque at Adabraka and met Owusu and Benafo in handcuff with Corporals Gbeglo and Osuman standing by them. The Prosecution said Ogbordjo and Mensah escaped when they saw the team of Policemen. The rest of the accused persons were escorted to the Deputy Regional Police Commander's Office.

During a search, a polythene bag containing 163 thumb-sized wrappers of a substance believed to be cocaine, 18,000 dollars, 600 pounds and three million cedis were found on Gbeglo. In an interrogation, Owusu claimed ownership of the cocaine and mentioned that the four Policemen after arresting them, demanded 60,000 dollars but they were able to raise 18,000 dollars, 600 pounds and three million cedis.