The Ghana Police Service have picked up four suspects in the Western Region for assaulting police officers.
According to the police, on 9th March 2023, the Axim Divisional Police patrol team reported an attack on the team by a gang that seized the magazine of a service rifle and some mobile phones belonging to the police officers.
A statement on Sunday, 2nd April 2023, said, “an intelligence operation was immediately launched after the report to get the suspects arrested”.
The law enforcement agency explained that on 28th March 2023, after about three weeks of the intelligence operation, four men, Kojo Siah alias Mozey, Emmanuel Mensah alias Kofi Asamoah, Maxwell Cudjoe and Agyabu Haruna Dissawu were arrested for their suspected involvement in the attack.
“A search conducted at the residence of Kwame Ato Asare Ani, the prime suspect, who is still on the run, led to the retrieval of three (3) pump-action shotguns. Also, one (1) pump-action shotgun, (2) machetes, and eight (8) BB-refilled cartridges were retrieved from the suspect’s unregistered Honda CRV vehicle.
“Other items retrieved from the suspects include two (2) live refilled BB cartridges and one (1) unregistered motorbike,” the statement added.
On 1st April 2023, while the investigations were ongoing to get the remaining suspects arrested, the attention of the police was drawn to "video footage in which the said police personnel, members of the Axim patrol team, are shown pleading with members of the gang while the gang alleged extortion by the police officers.
The Ghana Police Service added that the allegation of extortion against the officers had been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSP) for investigation.
Meanwhile, all the suspects in the reported attack on the patrol team, who had been arrested, have been put before the court and remanded in custody.
"Efforts are continuing to get the remaining suspects arrested"
