New Edubiase (Ash), Dec 30, GNA- Sixteen rape, defilement and abortion cases were among 359 cases recorded in the Adansi East District this year.

Two hundred and fifty-one of the cases are under investigations, Chief Inspector J.K. Kpebbeson, Officer-in-charge of the New Edubiase police station told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

He said the problem facing police personnel in the district is inadequate personnel for effective policing especially at New Edubiase since it is the district capital with two commercial banks and a large population.

Chief Inspector Kpebbeson also complained about the absence of a resident Magistrate for the district and that cases from the district have to be sent to the court at Bekwai, where the station officer has to sometimes double as the prosecutor, the warrant officer and police escort when cases are sent there.

Chief Inspector Kpebbeson appealed to the public, NGOs and citizens of New Edubiase to support the district assembly to get accommodation for a resident magistrate to ease the burden on the police and also ensure speedy disposal of cases.

Detective Corporal Francis Awuah commended the people of the district for their high communal spirit and said there had been only one reported case of ''failing to attend communal labour.''