Police to be prosecuted for "selling" bail

Ho, May 11, GNA-The Volta Regional Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has hinted at the likely prosecution of Police personnel alleged to have extorted money from relations of suspects before granting them bail.

Mr Carlos Mensah, Principal Investigator at the Commission gave the hint in an interview with the Ghana News Agency over one such recent allegation of extortion as a condition for granting bail to one Mr Bubu Ametame of the Ho Office of the National Population Council. He said the Commission's attention has received several of such complaints of extortion against the Police, which is serious. He said it was illegal and criminal for the Police to collect money before granting bail to suspects at the Police Station. Mr Mensah explained that it was only when a law court grants bail that suspects were expected to pay some monies to the Court and not to the Police.

Last week, the Kekeli Evangelical Presbyterian Church at Ho SSNIT Flats held a press conference concerning alleged manhandling of Mr Ametame, a member of the Church by Police at the Ho Police Station. Mr Ametame's regional, boss Mr Edwin Darkey said at that press conference that he was asked to pay 20 Ghana Cedis at the Police station before he could get Mr Ametame released after being kept behind the counter for six hours.