Bike Thief ?Inaugurates? Police Station

THE increasing rate of crime in the East Legon area was given a strong confirmation when a few minutes before the official opening of the newly-built police station for the community, a suspected thief was arrested and thrown into the cells of the yet-to-be inaugurated facility.

The atmosphere at the ?serious? inauguration ceremony turned into a state of side-splitting laughter and utter disbelief when the invited guests, who obviously did not expect to see any suspect behind bars, entered the cells only to find rasta-haired David Cofie sitting on the floor of one of the cells, talking to himself.

As soon as he saw the Deputy Minister of the Interior, uniformed senior police officers, the other guests and the 'paparrazzi', Cofie started shouting, ?Oh I have not stolen anything. I don?t know why they brought me here,? drawing endless laughter from the people.

A police officer told The Mirror that Cofie was arrested for allegedly stealing a Phoenix bicycle a few metres away from the new police station shortly before it was inaugurated by the Deputy Interior Minister, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd).

According to the officer, investigations were under way and Cofie would soon be put before court on a charge of stealing.

Earlier in an address, Captain Effah-Dartey condemned the increasing acts of indiscipline in society, pointing out that ?our biggest problem as a nation is indiscipline, but when one wants to enforce the law, one is described as a wicked person?.

Democracy, he said, did not mean that one could do whatever one liked. ?It is the duty of the government to ensure absolute peace and security of lives and property and the NPP governmnet will do that,? he assured.

The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, ACP Kofi Boakye, told The Mirror in an interview that the improved relationship between the police and civilians had put the police one step ahead of criminals in the city.

?People should not hesitate to give us information about suspected criminals and their activities so that we can act fast and arrest them,? he added.

A Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, appealed to Ghanaians to help transform policing in the country for the betterment of society.

The new police station was built by the East Legon Extension Residents Association, with support from various companies and individuals.

It is meant to check the increasing rate of crime in the area which is a target for armed robbers. Through the efforts of the former IGP, Nana Owusu-Nsiah, the Ghana Police Service contributed ?71 million to the ?500 million project.

On behalf of the residents, the Chairman of the association, Paapa Stephens, presented a plaque to Nana Owusu Nsiah in recognition of his support for the construction of the police station.