IGP orders transfer of CID personnel

Page 3: Daily Graphic, July 1, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, has ordered the immediate transfer of all personnel of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Accra Regional Police Command.
The IGP has further ordered the Regional Command to audit all robbery dockets in the last two years to ascertain the status of the cases.
It formed part of the exercise by the Police Administration to re-organise the department and inject more professionalism into their work.
Mr Quaye has also asked that a service enquiry be instituted against Detective Lance Corporal, Number 39369, Prince Owiredu Bitihene of the CID Unit for allegedly releasing a hardened criminal on police enquiry bail without due recourse to his superiors.
Bitihene is also to be charged as an accomplice in armed robbery.
Sources close to the Regional Police Command told the Daily Graphic that Bitihene was alleged to have released Rauf Abass on or before June 12, 2009, a day or two after he had been arrested together with two others for attacking the Easy Internet Cafe at Tesano at gunpoint and taking away mobile phones, cash and 11 laptops.
Bitihene allegedly collected GH¢200 from the suspect’s agents after which he released him on police enquiry bail.
The other suspects in the case, Sadat Mohammed and Muntari Adams, are still in custody.
The sources described the conduct of Bitihene, who was the investigator in the case, as “unprofessional and unpardonable”.
Sources close to the Office of the IGP told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the IGP had intelligence report that a suspected armed robber, identified as Rauf Abass, had been released by Bitihene.
The sources said when Bitihene got to know that the release of Rauf had reached the IGP, he went into hiding until June 22, 2009 when he resurfaced in the office.
They said Bitihene was alleged to have collected GH¢200 from the suspect’s agents and released him.
Bitihene, the sources said, was also referred to the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) for further investigations.
The IGP, the sources said, had given strong indication that he would deal ruthlessly with any misguided policeman or woman and recalled telling the personnel to either change or be blown away by the wind of change in the Ghana Police Service.
The sources said the IGP wanted to assure the public that the Police Administration’s effort to combat crime, particularly armed robbery, would not spare any officer who was found culpable in any way.
“The IGP is also fighting crime from within by dealing with indiscipline, misconduct or complicity of personnel in any form of crime,” they said.
The sources said the IGP, therefore, wanted members of the public to have confidence in the Police Administration to relay any information about suspected criminals to senior police officers or to him personally.
“The IGP is determined to purge the Police Service and needs the co-operation of the public,” they added.
Mr Quaye recently announced between GH¢2,000 and GH¢5,000 reward for informants whose information lead to successful arrest and prosecution of criminals.