The Police Administration has interdicted Inspector Sulemana Adam for leaving a service rifle in a commercial vehicle after extorting money from the driver.
A statement signed by Superintendent Olivia Adiku of the Western Region Public Affairs Unit said the rifle had since been returned by the driver, who also alleged the extortion of money.
Inspector Adam, with the Rapid Deployment Force, Takoradi, has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau to allow for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The statement said both the inspector and the driver were assisting with investigations.
In an interview with the driver, who preferred to remain anonymous, he said about five police officers stopped his vehicle for allegedly loading at an unauthorised area.
“I loaded passengers from Coast to Takoradi. When I got to Takoradi around 8:30pm on Friday, a police vehicle with about five officers on board stopped me. They alighted all my passengers and told me I was under arrest and that I will be taken to the office to be processed for court, which I obliged.”
The driver said the officers asked him to stop the vehicle along the way and demanded he paid GH¢150 before he would be set free.
“They told me that if they should take me to the station, I will pay GH¢500 and my vehicle will be locked until Monday.”
“They then said I should pay GH¢150 and I pleaded with them to have mercy upon me….I finally paid GH¢100 and they left me to go”.
The driver said he later realised one of the police officers had left his rifle on the front seat, which he sent to the police station, since he could not work with the gun on the seat.