IGP Draws His Gun

… Warns Public Over Unlawful Seizures By Emmanuel Akli Barely a week after ordering the dismissal of the 206 police recruits for allegedly providing fake certificates, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has struck once again. This time, he is warning those moving from one government agency to the other, seizing both government and private […]

The post IGP Draws His Gun appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.

… Warns Public Over Unlawful Seizures

By Emmanuel Akli

Barely a week after ordering the dismissal of the 206 police recruits for allegedly providing fake certificates, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has struck once again.

This time, he is warning those moving from one government agency to the other, seizing both government and private assets to desist from the conduct or be prepared to face the full rigours of the law.

He has grounded his action in the Criminal Code sections 125 and 152. The Section 125 of the criminal code, which defines Stealing, reads: A person steals if he dishonestly appropriates a thing of which he is not the owner.

Section 152, which deals with Unlawful Entry also reads: Whoever unlawfully enters any building with the intention of committing crime therein shall be guilty of second degree felony. This means any alibi of living in a cloud cuckoo land would not be entertained.

It has become hackneyed in Ghana to see party footsoldiers moving from one government department to the other, sacking people from their posts and taking over the running of the agency, any time there is a change of government.

These footsoldiers also go onto the streets seizing cars they suspect to be government property. President Akufo-Addo, for instance, had his landcruiser vehicle seized at the Opera Square in Accra in 2009, when the late Atta Mills government took over the reins of power by people who claimed to be operatives from the seat of government, the Osu Castle.

The said operatives claimed the cross country vehicle belongs to the state, hence the action to seize it.

Later, the then government spokesman, Mahama Ayariga issued a press statement where he apologized to Nana Addo, after which the car was returned.

The then presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), however, decided not to use the car again.

The Barclays bank manager at the time was also pulled out from his car in traffic by the same footsoldiers, claiming it was a government car. The Atta Mills government had to again come out to apologize over the wrongful seizure.

The footsoldiers also invaded public toilets, the National Health Insurance offices and toll booths where they sacked the workers and took over.

Workers who resisted the illegal takeovers were assaulted by the marauding footsoldiers. With this treatment at the back of their minds, footsoldiers of NPP also went into action immediately the Electoral Commission (EC) declared President Akufo-Addo as winner of the December 2016 elections.

The NPP grassroots’ supporters went from one toll booth to the other, sacking the workers and taking control. Like it happened in 2009, they were also moving on the streets and into private homes, seizing cars.

The development compelled the Akufo-Addo government to set up a special taskforce, comprising of the police, Ghana Revenue Authority and Flagstaff House among others, to search and locate all government assets that have fallen into private hands.

The public has been warned to stop taking the law into their own hands but rather report anyone suspected to be in possession of government cars or property to the taskforce.

But despite all these warnings, some of the footsoldiers are still attacking personnel government departments and agencies and this is what has forced the IGP to apply the law.

In a statement released in Accra yesterday, the Police Administration said “Information reaching the Police Administration indicates that some group of persons are going around seizing vehicles and other items belonging to functionaries of the previous government for having stolen them, and also taking over and locking up state institutions and agencies, with the latest of such take-overs being those of SADA, NHIA offices in Tamale, Northern Region.

The Police Administration takes a very serious view to these acts, as they constitute criminal offences, and also breach the peace. Perpetrators of these unlawful entries and seizures of state institutions and other person’s belonging could be held for any or all of the following offences:

Unlawful Entry; Contrary to the Criminal offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) Section 152.

1. Stealing. Contrary to the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) Section 125.

It is an offence for any person or group of persons to take the law into their own hands and invade people’s homes and workplaces under the pretext of retrieving stolen state property.

Anyone with information about any act of criminality, including alleged stealing of any state property by any persons, be they public officials or private individuals should report the matter to the nearest Police Station or CID Headquarters, Accra for the necessary action.

The Police have commenced an operation to arrest and prosecute those who commit these unlawful acts.

The post IGP Draws His Gun appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.

Read Full Story