National Security Probes Police

*Over Dismissal of 24 Constables

By Livingstone Pay Charlie

The office of National Security has begun investigations into the saga of 24 police constables who were dismissed in 2007 for complaining too much over poor working conditions.

Information available to this paper has it that some of the 24 personnel have already been invited by the National Security. A source close to the National Security told The Insight that most of the ex-police constables maintained that they were innocent of charges of “gross disrespect and insubordination” levelled against them at the time.

The ex-officers who complained about the small cubicles given to them at the National Police Depot in Tesano, Accra, were also charged for misconduct.

Superiors at the time also took strong exception to the interviews the former officers gave some media houses.

Acting Director of Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori observed in an interview that “the defaulting constables, who had organised some media organisations to cover their stage-managed relocation, ignoring the Public Affairs Directorate would face administrative sanctions.”

“The police would not compromise its position on discipline in the service. As a regimented institution, those being relocated had to obey the orders and then use the existing administrative channels to put forth their grievances,” Kwesi Ofori had said.

After putting them to a summary trial, the ex-constables were discharged from the Police Service per a correspondence signed by Elizabeth Mills-Robertson, then Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) in charge of administration on 12th April, 2007.

Not satisfied with the outcome of the summary trial, the ex-officers vehemently protested.

A subsequent investigation was launched into the whole saga. Some of the affected personnel told this paper that the Committee report which they were only allowed to read, recommended their reinstatement.

Police chiefs have however denied ever seeing the committee's report. But it is believed that the report is in the custody of the Organised Crime Unit.

In a petition last year, the ex-officers who were tagged “rebelling constables” appealed to the then IGP to go by the committee's recommendations and reinstate them.

They have since heard nothing from the IGP's office. The total number of the ex-constables involved in the alleged misconduct was thirty at the time.

There are still lingering questions on why superiors at the time submitted only 24 names for disciplinary action.