Some police personnel on patrol duties during the festive period have disclosed that they rejected bribes from civilians.
The revelation was made on Monday, January 15, 2024, at the Police Headquarters, during a debriefing session of police operations during the festive period.
The Ghana Police Service was cited as one of the most corrupt institutions in the country in research by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2021.
Research in 2022 by the Ghana Statistical Service with other stakeholders in the fight against corruption has ranked the Service as the most corrupt institution among 23 other institutions sampled.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare said the Service will never accept the tag of being the most corrupt institution in the country.
He stated that those researches are questionable and challenged.
Some social commentators say there seems now to be a conscious effort to restore the image of the service.
Sharing their testimonies and recommendations with the IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, some of the officers said members of the public offered them money during their snap-check operations but they rejected it ‘by God’s grace.’
General Constable Sowu said, “First of all, I thank our IGP and POMAG members for this general task he gave us during Christmas. Sir, what we learned on our duty is that when the Senior Officers dispatch us on duty, they advise us on extortion. When we go out there too, truly, some of these civilians like to be giving us money. But, by God’s grace, we always reject this kind of money.”
Another member of the police patrol team corroborated General Constable Sowu’s claim.
“Most of the drivers too, a driver….was trying to give some of our people money but they refused. They think that police are always taking bribes and other things.”
The Director General in charge of Administration at the Ghana Police Service, COP Christian Tetteh Yohunu encouraged the officers to continue to refrain from bribery.
“The assurance given by the men is that all the attempts to bribe them, they rejected them and that is kudos to them. We want to tell the other policemen who are home, and in their various places preparing to go to work and are not part of these galaxy stars that they should take the example from these people and make sure that they reject anything given to them. When we continue to do this, I tell you a time will come when Ghana Police Service, will never appear in any corruption rating” he said.
According to him, “the monies that they will give you on the street will never do anything for you. It is a curse so don't receive it. Shame those people who attempt to bribe you and continue to focus on your work.”
Commending Dr. Akuffo Dampare on the snap-checkpoint initiative, other officers asked the IGP to maintain the snap-checkpoint operations and want colleague officers to stop complicating their work.
“I've noticed some few things about the snap-check. I suggest that it should not be closed down but rather our fellow policemen should be well educated because now they’ve realized that we are no more stopping them and checking them so they can even stop in the middle of the road until you tell them they should move before they go, making the work difficult. So I suggest we educate the men better so that the snap-checkpoint operation can hold a hold."
The IGP also called on the public to keep supporting the police service in its quest to repair its image.
"I thank the good people of Ghana for accommodating our shortfalls as you continue to constructively criticize us, for us to use our sense of guilt and shame to continue to be better. We'll continue to strive to become the best institution in the country and a reference point for the rest of Africa and beyond. We know that it is attainable," he said.
Credit: myjoyonline.com