There is disquiet among personnel of the Dodowa police over reports that the Station Officer, Inspector Stephen Frimpong, has allegedly taken a ?6m bribe to drop charges against four suspected criminals who assaulted three police Constables detailed to arrest them.

The three police Constables were detailed to effect the arrest of some suspected criminals at Nanoman, a village off the Adenta-Dodowa road, but were brutally thrashed by the thugs. The leader of the suspects, Mr. Agbi Tetteh, managed to abscond even while in police handcuffs, while a police Constable had part of his left ear chewed off at the scene on August 6, 2001.

Investigations by The Heritage have established that, later the same year, the suspects were re-arrested after they had gone into hiding for three months.

They admitted assaulting the policemen during interrogation, and even handed over police handcuffs they had destroyed to the Dodowa police. The handcuffs have since been tendered in Court as evidence.

Inspector Frimpong, the Dodowa Police Station Officer, who is also the prosecuting Officer handling the case, has since late 2001 been supervising the continued adjournment of the case, much to the chagrin of his subordinates, The Heritage can reveal. The last adjournment was on March 12, 2003 and the case has been rescheduled for next Wednesday, March 26.

The three Constables and their other colleagues, not happy with what appeared to be orchestrated adjournments of the case claim it is because Inspector Frimpong had deliberately failed to convince the court that personnel of his outfit were brutally assaulted.

Investigations at Nanoman, where the three Constables were beaten up point to the fact to the fact that the case of assault brought against the suspects had been discussed amicably outside court and that Inspector Frimpong, as part of the so-called amicable settlement, is expected to plead with the court to discharge them.

The Heritage sources at Nanoman and at the Dodowa police said an amount of ?6m was involved in the settlement package, out of which Inspector Frimpong gave the three Constables ?500,00 each.

One of the Constables has admitted having received ?500,000 from his superior, Inspector Frimpong.

According to the Constable (name withheld), he was told it "was a gift from their friends at Nanoman" but he could not challenge his superior as to the reasons behind the money, especially at the time, the police was prosecuting suspected criminals from Nanoman.

The three Constables and some other colleagues have since the disbursement of the ?500,000 gift not been happy with the way Inspector Frimpong has been arguing the case in court, thus enabling the unnecessary adjournments, The Heritage reveal.

"How can the court keep adjourning a straightforward case of assault of public officers and destructor of state property, if the prosecuting officer mean business," a police source intoned angrily, adding: "the boys now don't want to risk their lives to effect arrests."

Inspector Frimpong, however, denies knowledge of any form of settlement with the suspects.

According to him, the docket on the case is still open, arguing that the suspects would re-appear before court next Wednesday when sentence is expected to be passed.