The Police Administration has summoned the policeman who allegedly threatened a transit truck driver with death for refusing to pay a 5,000 cedis bribe to appear before it tomorrow, Wednesday 25, April, 2007.

The Director General of Police Intelligence Unit, ACP Timothy A. Ashley said following the publication in the Ghanaian Times on Monday, a signal was sent to Kintampo where the policeman might be based, summoning him to report to Accra for questioning.

He said if found culpable after investigations the policeman would be dealt with according to police service regulations.

ACP Ashley asked the reporter of the news item to assist in investigations to enable the police administration to come out with the truth.

On Friday April 13, the policeman who was said to be on duty at the Kintampo road barrier in the Brong Ahafo Region was embroiled in a scuffle with the driver over an alleged 5,000 cedis bribe.

As the argument raged, the policeman was heard threatening to kill the driver. "I will kill you like a fowl," he is said to have shouted at the driver, who was conveying a load of sugar to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The policeman apparently got infuriated when the driver bluntly refused to pay the illegal fee.

The incident took place whilst the reporter was on the truck from Tema to Ouagadougou-Burkina Faso and back, sponsored by the West African Trade Hub, a USAID project, to observe problems that drivers encounter while travelling by truck in both directions.

The policeman at the Kintampo barrier is alleged to have demanded the bribe, termed as "water" or "cola" from the driver before he could let him pass his destination.

For about 20 minutes, the two persons exchanged words with each of them insisting on his case.

The incident started when the truck with a Burkina Faso registration number arrived at the closed barrier where the policeman was found reading a newspaper.

He apparently expected the driver to get down and go to him, but the driver remained in his truck.

The policeman angrily got up and walked to the driver who immediately identified his truck as a transit vehicle.

But the policeman retorted, "And so what". This brought up an argument between the two with the policeman threatening to kill him as the driver asked why the police corporal opened the barrier for other vehicles, especially those behind his truck to pass.

At the end of it all, the driver had no alternative than to pay the 5,000 cedis through a district assembly official who was there to check vehicles for their income tax.