The suspect, Patrick Asiedu
I am by this publication inviting as many Ghanaians as possible, if not all Ghanaians, to critically consider the safety and security of Ghanaians in the country as regards the obvious prevalence of lawlessness and wanton commitment of crimes with impunity that most of us can bear witness to.
The way politics is practiced in the country, as glaringly dirty as it is, has given rise to the level of lawlessness and perpetration of crimes as you and I see happening in the country without the possibility of finding lasting solutions to them now, or in the foreseeable future.
In a country where political opponents easily resort to propaganda, crimes, insults, and acts of sabotage with the intent to cause the president and his ruling political party public disaffection, everything is possible to take place.
Subsequently, I shall invite you all, fellow Ghanaians, to approach this publication with open minds.
On the night of Tuesday, 17 January 2023, I received the attached audio on my WhatsApp from one of my WhatsApp contacts. Immediately after listening to the audio, I forwarded it to many of my WhatsApp contacts as advised by the alleged victim in the audio, all for the safety and security of fellow Ghanaians.
I did not hesitate to pass it to a high-ranking police commissioner or personnel who is among my WhatsApp contacts. Within minutes of the said police personnel acknowledging the receipt of the audio by the double blue ticks of WhatsApp when she sent a police press release to me, a true copy of which is found below.
I WhatsApped her saying I was going to publish both the audio and their police press release to not only warn Ghanaians against perceived and or, confirmed, police criminalities towards innocent Ghanaian citizens but ordinary saboteurs desirous to bring down the government, and some institutions, or smear the police force.
She asked me not to publish any article about the incident since it has already caused tension in the country. However, I replied her saying I would, because we need to get to the bottom of the issue as it is a very serious incident that could easily have landed the victim in jail or culminated in his death, was the allegation true.
On the other hand, the allegation has the potential to tarnish the image of the police force, blemish the reputation of the sitting president of Ghana as well as cause public fear and panic in the country.
She did read my last message to her by the double blue ticks of WhatsApp but never got back to me hence silence being a consent or as some may say, “silence allows the abuser to abuse”
Now, I am in two minds about the whole saga that the police commissioner or officer confirmed to me to have been causing tension in Ghana. Being a fair-minded person, I shall wield my double-sided- sharpened dagger or sword here.
Firstly, let me ascertain that the Ghana police have already earned a bad reputation. Most of them are corrupt. They are taking bribes on the roads in broad daylight with impunity. Some of them have been caught doing armed robberies. This is on record.
Instead of being the law and enforcers of the law, they rather break them. It is on record that some policemen had been arrested for attacking bullion vans, stealing sheep, and involving themselves in other nefarious activities.
Any interested Ghanaian or doubting Thomas can google Ghana news to confirm or disprove my assertions just made about some police officers being arrested for the crimes just mentioned above.
From such deplorable and criminal lives of the bad people within the police force, one will easily believe the story of the unknown Dr. Patrick Asiedu.
What Dr. Asiedu has reported, or alleged, in his audio was once a rampant occurrence in Nigeria in the 1980s and could have now worsened. When the corrupt Nigerian police decided to take bribe from you, he would not hesitate to plant a contraband good on you or in your car and then turned around to accuse you of dealing in such materials. He would take you to their station and could easily find yourself at their notorious Krikri prisons.
The other side of the dagger goes as this. The unknown Dr. Patrick Asiedu could be a smearer like any of the political saboteurs in Ghana like Kwame Appiah Stadium who accused President Nana Akufo-Addo of not only being a weed (wee) smoker but its dealer.
When he was arrested by the police to assist them in their investigations to prove whether or not the president is a wee dealer, Appiah Stadium started crying, denouncing his allegation as mere political talk intended to tarnish the reputation of the president to enhance the chances of his idol, former President John Dramani Mahama.
This same Appiah Stadium alleged that Sammy Gyamfi had accepted bribe from a top NPP businessman only to swallow back his sputum when his own people in the NDC took him on.
Look at the recent revelation by the now Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah on the Supreme Court petition filed against President Nana Akufo-Addo in presidential election 2020.
The NDC knew very well that they had lost the election yet, they mobilised people to cause destructive street demonstrations in Ghana, amid misinforming the public that John Mahama had won the election but Mrs. Jean Mensah, the Chair of the Electoral Commission, had rigged it for President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Look at the former National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, coaching some NDC faithful to cause all sorts of crimes in Ghana just to cause public disaffection for President Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP government in order to get the people to vote in NDC.
In Ghana, everything is possible. Many people in Ghana are bad and will do whatever it takes to attain their selfish parochial interests.
Could Dr. Patrick Asiedu be one of such saboteurs who for their parochial interests, will go to whatever length to discredit the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akufo-Dampare for the good works he has done so far, hence this allegation?
SUGGESTION:
According to the police press release, they have checked both the East Legon and Accra Central Police Stations but there has been no such complaint lodged by anyone, contrary to the claims made by the alleged victim, Dr. Patrick Asiedu. They have also checked the Southern Army Command in Accra and the story is the same, no such complaints made.
The police should contact the Accra and Tema metropolis’ medical services to find out if there is any Dr. Patrick Asiedu registered with them. Could he be a proper medical doctor, a herbal doctor, or a doctor by nickname?
The police must appeal to the public to come forward with their knowledge about any person going by the name Dr. Patrick Asiedu to help with their investigations to ascertain the veracity or otherwise, of the allegations made by him as is in the audio.
We should all help to fight crimes in Ghana. Police planting narcotics on people to extort money from them, or taking money from drivers is a crime same as anyone falsely accusing one of committing a crime that they have not actually committed. Could the case of Dr Patrick Asiedu fall into this category?
CONCLUSION
Ghanaians are in limbo until Dr. Patrick Asiedu comes out to assist the police in their investigations and the culprits arraigned with their names and photos made public to serve as a deterrence to would-be perpetrators of crimes of whatever sort.
All Ghanaians must have their hands on deck to get to the bottom of this serious allegation to make the country safer for you and I to live in peace.
Who is the criminal here? The alleged police officers or Dr. Patrick Asiedu? Time will tell!
