Petitions Prez Kufuor as last resort

Chronicle -- Detective Sergeant Peter K. Annobil, the lone crusading ranger, described in various circles as the watchman watching the watchman (Police Service), has appealed to the President of the Democratic Republic of Ghana over missing hard drugs in police custody and other related criminal acts, because his superiors and politicians have failed to act.

He said he had to rely on the nation’s number-one citizen as his last port of call with the hope and expectation that the Service would be cleansed of all criminals.

In a passionate petition dated 20th July, 2006 and copied to the Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Interior, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and the chairman of the Narcotics Control Board, Annobil hinted the President that he believed many senior officers would be exposed if his request was granted.

“I sincerely appeal to you to cause the set up of a commission to unearth the mystery surrounding the disappearance of at least 3kg of cocaine, a mini sack full of Indian hemp and other assorted quantities of the two drugs from La Police exhibit store almost four years ago,” it stated.

Apart from the issue of the missing cocaine, the sergeant catalogued other serious criminal acts such as abduction, torture, unlawful detention, kangaroo trials, assassination attempts with pistols and AK47 rifles, planned and covered prisoner escapes in exchange for valuable considerations, which were rife in the service.

The CID junior officer, stationed at La in Accra, cautioned that he would go to court to compel the various office-holders to act if his latest appeal went unheeded to.

“Several appeals made to the IGP, Director of CID, and the Interior Minister, since the past two years, to assist trace the drugs, which were exhibits in cases under investigation at La Police Station received very unpatriotic response due to the influence of the then Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye”, the petition stressed.

Asked by yours truly whether he could authenticate his allegation, the fiery officer said, “I know what I am talking about, and that is why I am appealing to the president. I can prove every single allegation I make, and many of my colleagues in the service know what I am saying is very true”.

Detective Inspector Annobil, the courageous whistleblower and a rare specie among junior police officers in Ghana, had in the last two years made several frantic efforts to rid the service of undesirable elements by exposing internal crime.

The Chronicle recalls how on 14th December, 2004 Annobil sought permission from the IGP to enable him seek redress in court, alongside some informants in the area over the alleged diversion and sale of 182 cartons of gin and a quantity of narcotic drugs at La.

He named Supt. Richard Baduweh, D/Supt. Fosu Ackaah, C/Inspector Albert Tanoh and D/Cpl. Richard Bedzra as those he intended to sue.

He made further appeals to the IGP on 8th March, 2005 while one of the police informants, Charles Stanley Dickson, also did the same on February 2, 2006.

The importunate detective continued to press home his call for justice when he wrote again to the top on 29th June 2005 and on 1st June and 10th July 2006.

He says he believed in due process and pointed out that even if he did not get any response from President Kufuor, he would still go to court.