‘Bragging’ policeman arrested for receiving bribe at drinking spot

A police officer in the Central Region has been caught on video allegedly negotiating for payment and receiving bribe from ‘associates’ of a criminal suspect to make foolish, a narcotic and cybercrime case he was handling.

General Sergeant Augustine Owusu Ansah of the Assin Fosu Police Division has since been arrested and detained by the Central Regional Police CID following the leaking of the video which has gone viral.

A statement issued by the Police in the region Tuesday said the act of the officer “amounts to corruption”.

The negotiation and wads of cash

In the said video, the uniformed officer was seen sitting in a drinking spot with some associates of the suspect who negotiated with the policeman as he bragged about how he has helped other suspects to escape justice in the past.

The policeman was heard saying that as a principle, he does not pocket all monies he takes as bribe from suspects in the area, as he always make sure he “settles every officer” including the commander.

“When I take money, I don’t spend it alone, I give commander some so that when another policeman arrests you and takes you to him, I can put in a word for him to let you go free,” he told the negotiators in Twi in the video.

G/Sgt. Owusu Ansah also revealed in the said video that he did not book one of the offences (smoking wee) for which the suspect at the centre of the case was arrested, indicating that he realised narcotic offence was a serious one which always end on the desk of their commander.

Before the policeman left the bar, he was handed wads of what appeared to be like 50 cedi and 5 cedi notes from the negotiators whose faces did not show in the video.

“Are you sure this will be up to the amount?” he asked the negotiators, and added: “I will take my time to check it when I get home. I’m going to give the papa 1000 cedis. If I say it, you won’t believe it; I know what I’m doing”.

Case transferred

According to the Police statement signed by DSP Irene Oppong, “the case has been referred to the Regional CID to investigate and report to the Regional Police Command for necessary action.

The Regional Police has meanwhile appealed to persons with “credible information” in the case to contact the Regional Crime Officer.

“The police is assuring the general public that painstaking investigations would be conducted to bring all persons involved to book”.