Fresh information available to The Herald indicates that the police inspector, who was arrested together with ten others, for stealing telecommunication cables worth seventy thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢70,000) at Achimota, a suburb in Accra, was a personal bodyguard of ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor.
According to insiders, Inspector Nii Enoch Lamptey played key roles in the personal security of the ex-President in his 8–year rule from 2001 to 2009; even though he has always been known as a rogue police officer, who always teams up with armed gangs to carryout criminal operations in and around Accra.
Enquiries on Inspector Enoch Lamptey revealed that when ex-President Kufuor was leader of the country, he (Lamptey) operated from the Castle, the then seat of government, and the Airport West private residence of Mr. Kufuor, although his original station was the Railways Police station in Kantamanto area, Accra.
He is also said to be a sub chief of one of the indigenous Ga communities outside the city of Accra.
The Herald was also told that the Police administration was aware of Inspector Lamptey’s criminal activities, but was unable to deal with him because of the powers that back him in and outside the police administration.
Sometime last year, Inspector Lamptey got a deep cut behind his head. It was later discovered that he was involved in a bitter clash with some of his armed partners in crime that resulted in the injury.
The Herald is informed that there were several cases within the police service similar to that of Inspector Lamptey, but the officers are not prosecuted, they are rather left off the hook.
Some of the serving police personnel caught engaging in activities contrary to the rules and regulations of the service are only interdicted without any dismissal.
Others later find themselves back into the service, because some powerful senior individuals in the service with whom they share their bribes and other booty, intervene on their behalf allowing them to continue their criminal activities.
Currently, it is a common sight to see a policeman who had barely joined the Service to be riding in luxurious cars they have personally acquired.
Apart from renting out their guns to criminal gangs, some officers serve also as bodyguards to cocaine dealers and big-time armed robbers.
Another area they also exploit are the 419 scammers popularly called Sakawa, collecting huge sums of money and even lavish cars from them to set them free. Others also act as land guards to land owners who had sold their plots to the multiple individuals.
Inspector Lamptey and nine others were arrested for stealing telecommunication cables belonging to Vodafone Ghana Limited.
They were arrested at a spot at Achimota around 3:30 a.m. yesterday cutting 240 meters of underground cables valued at GHc70,000.
They are Abass Abubakari, Ohene Toffa, Kwadwo Agyepong, Abubakari Illiasu and Aminu Salifu.
The rest are Yakubu Abdulai, Adam Abdala, Lamini Fuseini, Dambar Abubakari and Alhassan.
Briefing journalists at the Achimota Mile Seven Police Station, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr. Tetteh Yohonu, said the suspects, with the assistance of Inspector Lamptey, attempted to outsmart the police dispatch team which spotted them in the act.
He said whereas one of the suspects was dressed in a Vodafone attire, Lamptey, dressed in police uniform, stood metres away to hint them in case of possible danger.
According to Mr. Yohonu, when the dispatch team saw the suspects removing the cables, they approached them and demanded to know if the exercise was genuine.
He said Lamptey showed up and told the police that the suspects were working under his authority.
Not fully convinced, Mr. Yohonu said the patrol team proceeded to arrest the suspects, but Lamptey managed to escape.
He said Lamptey was subsequently apprehended after the police traced his station to the Railway police station in Accra.
The suspects are currently in police custody awaiting full investigation and possible prosecution.
Mr. Yohonu stated that the police would not cover up or hide any criminal activities perpetrated by their own or that of any other person.
