Police Haul 'Free Press' to NMC

The Ghana Police Service, has, through its Public Affairs Directorate, dragged the Owners and Editors of The Free Press newspaper to the National Media Commission (NMC).

The police action is as a result of a publication carried by the paper in which it alleges that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Patrick Acheampong and Supt Edward Tabiri, had been, "caught in web of scandals."

In registering its protest, the police noted that there is no iota of truth in the said Free Press story that it described as a 'cock and bull story.'

The service noted in its complaint that the story by the Free Press captioned "IGP, TABIRI CAUGHT . In the web of scandals" had sought to concoct and fabricate a cock and bull story for the purposes of painting the IGP and the Service in a very negative manner hence; the Public Affairs Department (PAD) takes an exception to the story.

The PAD says the service takes an exception to the publication, since it lacked the element of truth.

It stressed that the IGP and Supt Tabiri had not in anyway involved themselves in any land scandal as portrayed by the paper.

"Rather, a case of harassment, double sale of land and land guards activities was reported at the CID Headquarters, and this case is being investigated at the Land Property Fraud Unit (LPFU) at the Criminal Investigations Department," it stressed.

The police therefore maintained that "the IGP is the embodiment of the Police Service and for that matter when an individual or a group of individuals are involved in legal cases and the IGP is sued or served a writ, it does not mean that the IGP is in real sense involved in that matter".

"Obviously, it was this point that the paper failed to recognize and ignorantly caused the publication to smear the image of IGP and Supt Tabiri," it reiterated Further it requested the NMC to call the paper to order and to also desist from "its cynical scare mongering ostensibly meant to tarnish the name of the police".

Meanwhile, DSP Ofori has told The Chronicle in an interview that the police service has an open-door policy to the media and members of the public, hence anybody who has doubts about police procedures should not hesitate to contact them to be enlightened.

He maintained that the police was aware of an intentional tactics being employed by sections of the media to tarnish the image of the service by bringing the hierarchy's name in whatever story about it.

That notwithstanding he said it would ensure that anyone who writes a diabolical story about the service would face the full rigours of the law.

The complaint, which is addressed to the Executive Secretary of NMC, was signed by the Deputy Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori and submitted last Wednesday.