Vigilant youth arrest cop, four others

BUOKROM-KUMASI -- Vigilant civilian youth on Tuesday arrested a police man and four others for attempting to defraud a Bolgatanga-based businessman of ?10 million through the use of fake currency at Buokrom junction in Kumasi The policeman, Constable D.K. Annan who was in uniform at the time of his arrest, is said to have deserted his duty post at Moshie Zongo where he was assigned on banking duties to engage in the illegal act.

Constable Annan is stationed at the Asawase Police Station. The other suspects are Kwabena Owusu Bediako, 22, a driver’s mate, Alhassan, 26, trader Kwadwo Amoateng, 26 and Kwasi Ansah, 28, both drivers.

A fifth person, whose name the police gave as Agba, is said to be on the run. According to an eye-witness, the policeman went in a hired taxi with the intention to arrest members of a syndicate who defraud unsuspecting victims using fake currency.

It turned out, however, that he was rather protecting members of the gang. The youth responded positively when the victim called for help and managed to arrest the suspects.

Corporal Annan is said to have managed to climb the fence wall of Limex Baux, a constructing company at Buokrom, for safety in the yard. The angry youth chased him up and nearly lynched him but security personnel at the yard intervened and called in personnel of the Buffalo Unit of the police.

The eyewitness said when personnel of the Buffalo Unit arrived and saw that their colleague was involved, they started to intimidate the youth but they stood their ground. When the Graphic called at the Regional Police Headquarters to get the full facts, the policeman was found in a pair of shorts and singlet and handcuffed.

A police source told the Graphic that the victim of the fraud, Mr. Sampson Bawa, is a businessman from Bolgatanga who deals in second hand refrigerators. It said one of the suspects is his friend and is said to have approached Bawa with the intention to raise funds to operate a joint venture.

The source said when the two arrived in Kumasi, the friend started playing hide and seek with him until Tuesday when he forced Bawa to the spot at Buokrom Estate junction.

There, the friend together with others showed Bawa some currency in two thousand denomination totalling about ?10 million and asked him to add his share. Immediately Bawa brought out his money, the policeman arrived and said he had arrested them.

The source said despite protests from Bawa that he rather was being defraud, Corporal Annan was bent on arresting Bawa until he called for help, which came readily. The fifth suspects, Agba, however, managed to flee with the ?10 million belonging to Bawa.