The ongoing operation in the Upper East Regional Capital, Bolgatanga in which the police have so far impounded about 120 motorbikes for alleged various offences is a complete fearful battle between them (police) and motorbike owners and riders in the township.
While the police are impounding motorbikes based on alleged offenses such as riding of unregistered motorbikes, riding without crash helmet and fake registrations, the civilians were of the view that the mode of operation used by the police was too hash and barbaric.
In an interview with this reporter, the Upper East Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr. Kweku Bempah, said the operation which has been going on for sometime now was intensified last week as a result of the death of 3 people last Sunday and Monday respectively. Many others sustained various degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment at the Bolgatanga regional hospital. Among them was a young lady who broke one of her arms and legs.
Mr. Bempah said the operation was a collaboration between the MTTU and the Custom Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS). Checking of licenses and other particulars of riders was also part of the exercise to rid the city of stolen motorbikes. He said there would be screening parade to inspect all documents of owners and riders of the impounded bikes. Those who would be found culpable would be put before court.
To this end, the MTTU boss has appealed to the general public to be calm and come to the MTTU office in Bolgatanga with all their documents so that the police and the custom officers would inspect them and release their bikes to them if they were not found culpable of the traffic rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, all the victims of the operation who spoke to this reporter have vehemently lambasted the police and the custom and said they were only interested in extorting monies from them. Others also said the police were harassing and assaulting them both verbally and physically. " If you watch them carefully, they either embark on this operation when Christmas is drawing near, or when they need money", a victim remarked in pain.
Last Friday at one of the scenes that this reporter witnessed an attempted arrest, the deputy MTTU Commander, Seth Tay and his men had it tough in their attempt to arrest a motorbike rider who had gone to bring his child from school. He was riding without a crash helmet. While the police contended that the rider attempted to escape upon their order signaling that he should stop, eyewitnesses at the scene said the police used a cruel means to stop the rider by crossing the road with their Land rover vehicle. There was exchange of both verbal and physical assaults by the police and the eye witnesses on the spot.
This reporter later learnt that one person was arrested by the police and put behind bar as a result of this hot confrontation but was released on that same day.
