FOUR POLICEMEN, who attempted to extort $60,000.00 from two persons they had arrested for possessing substances suspected to be cocaine, were yesterday remanded into police custody, by an Accra circuit court, alongside their victims, on charges of extortion and possession of narcotic drugs. The four policemen are: Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo, Karimu Osumanu, Ebenezer Ogbordo and J.K. Mensah, all Lance Corporals of the Ghana Police Service.
The two others are, Derrick Osei Owusu, a soldier with the British Army, and Leonard Banafo, a student.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges of possessing narcotic drugs, contrary to section 2 (1) of PNDC law 236/90, and extortion contrary to section 151 Act 29/60 and are to reappear before the court on June 7th.
Presenting the facts of the case before the court, DSP Abichab Boye said last Friday, May 27, the Regional CID of Accra had information that the four policemen had arrested two men with a quantity of a substance suspected to be cocaine, and were extorting $60,000 from them at the Papillion Hotel at Lartebiokorshie, a suburb of Accra.
The police, acting upon the information received, according to the prosecutor, sent a team of police personnel from the Regional CID in Accra, who trailed them to the Glens Nightclub at Adabraka.
According to DSP Boye, when the team of investigators got to the spot at Adabraka, they met Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo and Lance Corporal Karimu Osumanu standing behind two men, Derrick Osei Owusu and Leonard Banafo, who were in handcuffs.
He indicated that when Ebenezer Ogbordo and J.K. Mensah saw the police team from the Regional CID approach, they managed to escape.
The CID personnel arrested the two suspects in handcuffs and the other policemen and sent them to the office of the Deputy Regional Commander, the court heard.
DSP Boye revealed that during a search on the suspects, in the office of the deputy regional commander, a polythene bag, which contained 163 thumb-sized pellets, suspected to be cocaine, $18,000, ?600 and ?3 million were found on Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo.
Derrick Osei Owusu, the British soldier, claimed ownership of the suspected cocaine, stating that the four policemen had demanded from them $60,000 bribe. According to him, they however, could not afford the amount, but managed to raise $18,000, ?600 and ?3 million which they gave to the policemen, in order to gain their freedom, but they were not released, until they were arrested.
DSP Boye noted that Derrick Osei Owusu contributed ?600 in addition to ?3 million, and confirmed one Yussif of Zongo Lane, contributed $10,000 whilst the Proprietor of Two-Jee Forex Bureau at Adabraka, provided the remaining $8,000.
FOUR POLICEMEN, who attempted to extort $60,000.00 from two persons they had arrested for possessing substances suspected to be cocaine, were yesterday remanded into police custody, by an Accra circuit court, alongside their victims, on charges of extortion and possession of narcotic drugs. The four policemen are: Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo, Karimu Osumanu, Ebenezer Ogbordo and J.K. Mensah, all Lance Corporals of the Ghana Police Service.
The two others are, Derrick Osei Owusu, a soldier with the British Army, and Leonard Banafo, a student.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges of possessing narcotic drugs, contrary to section 2 (1) of PNDC law 236/90, and extortion contrary to section 151 Act 29/60 and are to reappear before the court on June 7th.
Presenting the facts of the case before the court, DSP Abichab Boye said last Friday, May 27, the Regional CID of Accra had information that the four policemen had arrested two men with a quantity of a substance suspected to be cocaine, and were extorting $60,000 from them at the Papillion Hotel at Lartebiokorshie, a suburb of Accra.
The police, acting upon the information received, according to the prosecutor, sent a team of police personnel from the Regional CID in Accra, who trailed them to the Glens Nightclub at Adabraka.
According to DSP Boye, when the team of investigators got to the spot at Adabraka, they met Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo and Lance Corporal Karimu Osumanu standing behind two men, Derrick Osei Owusu and Leonard Banafo, who were in handcuffs.
He indicated that when Ebenezer Ogbordo and J.K. Mensah saw the police team from the Regional CID approach, they managed to escape.
The CID personnel arrested the two suspects in handcuffs and the other policemen and sent them to the office of the Deputy Regional Commander, the court heard.
DSP Boye revealed that during a search on the suspects, in the office of the deputy regional commander, a polythene bag, which contained 163 thumb-sized pellets, suspected to be cocaine, $18,000, ?600 and ?3 million were found on Detective Sergeant Stanley Gbeglo.
Derrick Osei Owusu, the British soldier, claimed ownership of the suspected cocaine, stating that the four policemen had demanded from them $60,000 bribe. According to him, they however, could not afford the amount, but managed to raise $18,000, ?600 and ?3 million which they gave to the policemen, in order to gain their freedom, but they were not released, until they were arrested.
DSP Boye noted that Derrick Osei Owusu contributed ?600 in addition to ?3 million, and confirmed one Yussif of Zongo Lane, contributed $10,000 whilst the Proprietor of Two-Jee Forex Bureau at Adabraka, provided the remaining $8,000.
