A circuit court in Accra has remanded five Ghanaian policemen facing extortion charges into custody.
They have been named as Constables Wishwell Odoo, Evans Arawassi, Lawal Agyapong and Senate Kuvordo and Corporal Redeemer Agama.
The Police Administration has also interdicted them, according to state-run newspaper Daily Graphic.
They were attached to the operations unit of the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service and are said to have used official police vehicles, while armed for illegal operations.
The policemen have been accused of extorting GH¢38,000 from two drivers at separate locations, while they were on patrol duties in some parts of Accra.
The court, presided over by Ms Rosemary Baah, remanded the accused persons after they pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them.
The four lawyers representing them were led by Mr Andy Vortia. He prayed the court for bail but the court declined.
They are to reappear on June 9, 2021.
Background
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Evans Kesse told the court that on May 21, 2021, a complainant reported to the Kaneshie Police that the five police personnel intercepted the Uber vehicle he was driving near the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) road and accused him of being a fraudster.
They arrested him and allegedly forced him to transfer an amount of GH¢20,000 into the mobile money account of one of them.
On the same day, the Achimota Police Station also received a complaint that three policemen in an official police vehicle stopped an unregistered Mercedes Benz on the Atomic-Haatso road.
The police personnel allegedly accused the driver of being a cyber fraudster and searched the vehicle.
They handcuffed the driver and took him to the Silver Star Tower, where they forced him to withdraw an amount of GH¢18,000 from an ATM for them.
SOURCE: DAILY GRAPHIC
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