General News of Tuesday, 30 January 2018

Source: mynewsgh.com

Senior police officers conspiring with criminals to kill junior ranks - Ken Agyapong

Kennedy Agyapong Kennedy Agyapong

The rampant killings of junior police officers in the country is as a result of corrupt connivance of senior ranks with criminals which is festering their operations in the country according to the outspoken lawmaker for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong.

He believes that the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of these senior police officers who are supposed to mentor the younger ones are partly to blame for the recent killings of the cops by suspected armed robbers in the country.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) firebrand insists that there are still some bud nuts in the service who are dining and whining with these criminals who have taken the country hostage and operating because they have the backing of some senior officers and will be released once they are arrested.

Speaking on Adom TV on Tuesday, a livid Kennedy Agyapong said he has incontrovertible evidence to back his claims that the senior police hierarchy has been infiltrated by criminals in uniform.

“Seriously I don’t trust the police service especially the senior officers. They are bogus. I have evidence to show that most of the criminals in this country are working hand in hand with senior police officers”

“When junior officers arrest criminals, they are released by the senior officers after they have been given huge sums of money by these criminals. They know what they get from these criminals and that is why junior police officers are dying”

Mr Agyapong said the situation is gradually creating tension between the junior and senior ranks saying” The top rank is rotten and I will continue to say it till they end such stupidity. They should stop protecting criminals”

At least 48 police officers paid the ultimate price of death in the discharge of their constitutional duties to protect lives and property in Ghana from 2013 to date according to a report contained in the Finder newspaper.

The number of officers killed each year during the period is 2013 – 13; 2014 – 11; 2015 – seven; 2016 – six; 2017 – seven and 2018 – four.

15 out of the 48 were killed by armed robbers and unidentified gunmen.

The affected officers died in several circumstances, including during exchange of fire with armed robbers, motor accidents, stabbing, being run over by vehicles, and police crossfire.

During the period, three police officers were mistakenly killed by police fire, who mistook them for armed robbers.

Some three police officers were also stabbed to death in the line of duty.

A total of nine police officers lost their lives when they were either knocked down or run over by vehicles during the period.

Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi who is the latest victim was killed on Sunday, January 21, 2018, when armed men, numbering about six, attacked the Kwabenya Police Station at dawn and forcibly freed seven prisoners.