One of the persons who was forced by some police officers in Accra to pay GHS 20,000 to them for no reason, has opened up about the unfortunate ordeal.
The victim, also a student, says he was in a ride-hailing vehicle on his way to the airport, when the police officers stopped the vehicle on suspicion that he was an internet fraudster.
According to him, he was arrested on the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) road by the masked police officers on board an ‘Operation Calm Life’ pick-up vehicle on Friday, May 21, 2021.
“All that happened was that the car was stopped by the police. I was on my phone when the car stopped. One officer told me to remove everything in my pocket. It was GHS 1,000 and a phone. He asked what I do, and I said I was a student. Then he started asking me about my family and I answered. I asked him why he is asking me all that because I felt unsafe.”
“So I decided to call my dad and then one of them snatched my phone and hanged the call. The officer then started going through my mail and went through chats about the business I do with my girlfriend who is in the UK. He just said I have a lot of money, so I am into fraud. He then handcuffed me and put me into their car”, the anonymous victim said.
Further details suggest the police intercepted the vehicle the victim was in, drove him to Awudome Cemetery, and threatened him at gunpoint.
After several threats and demands, the victim ended up paying GHS 20, 000 for fear of his life.
“We went through the Airport road, and they said either I take them to a hotel and give them GHS 20.,000, or I go to the police headquarters. But I insisted that I have done nothing wrong. They started threatening me, and so I started feeling unsafe, and said I will give them the money, so they set me free.”
“They took me to Awudome Road through to Circle. They called one guy who came with a phone. The police took the phone and asked me to transfer the money to the Mobile Money number. So I transferred the money from my bank account to the mobile money wallet. They then left me and I took a taxi cab home”, he told Citi News‘ Micheal Ogbodu.
Aside from this incident, there is a second one where the victim was also arrested around Haatso Ecobank Branch by three police officers on patrol duties.
Police reports indicate that the victim was handcuffed and his phone and other belongings seized.
The victim was driven to the Silver Star Towers around the airport, and an amount of GHS 18,000 allegedly extorted from him.
Barely 24 hours after this incident, five policemen were arrested for their involvement.
They were subsequently interdicted and prosecuted.
All four embattled policemen have been charged with conspiracy, robbery and bribery, and were denied bail on Thursday, May 27, 2021.
