From George Ernest Asare,Kumasi
A Ghanaian resident in the United Kingdom who was arrested on New Year’s day by the police from the Buffalo Unit in Kumasi and taken to a shrine to confess his crime has threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police and the Ashanti Regional Police Command.
Describing his arrest as unlawful and an affront to the rule of law, the victim, Mr Stephen Osei Owusu, said the suit would provide answers for the legality or otherwise of the mode of arrest carried out by the police.
Owusu was arrested on suspicion of stealing $3,000 and GH¢500 belonging to one Kwame at his Nhyiaseso residence in Kumasi.
Reports monitored on Luv FM in Kumasi on the incident indicated that two men from the Police Buffalo Unit, whose names were given as Danso and Agyei, effected Owusu’s arrest, accusing him of stealing, and instead of taking him to the charge office, as stipulated by the Constitution, and taking his statement, the two rather took the suspect to two shrines at Ejisu to establish his guilt.
Commenting on his ordeal, Owusu said he was on holiday in Ghana and visited his cousin, who resides with the complainant, around 8 p.m. on January 1, 2010.
He said just before he was about to leave the house, the landlord alleged that he could not find his money and, therefore, called the police, who rushed into the house and arrested the security man.
Owusu said as he moved from the house, the police asked him to join the security man, alleging that he was also a suspect.
He said moments later, the police whisked them from the residence to a shrine at Ejisu Krapa where a fetish priest asked all of them, including the policemen, to pull an object set up by the fetish priest to determine their guilt or otherwise.
Owusu said the policemen, together with the security man, were able to pull the object as specified by the fetish priest, but he was unable to do it so the fetish priest pronounced him guilty of stealing the money which was alleged to have got missing.
He said based on that the two policemen took him to his house and searched it but found nothing.
He said not satisfied with that, he was severely assaulted by the policemen and bundled into cells.
Expressing concern over the police action, Owusu said he would not relent on his decision to pursue his legal action against the police to reduce the injustice in the system.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has, meanwhile, initiated investigations into the case.
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