TWO CONSTABLES, CIVILIAN JAILED FOR EXTORTION (BACK PAGE)

TWO police constables and a civilian who were found in possession of narcotic drugs and extorted money from a drug peddler have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each with hard labour by the Koforidua High Court.
General Constable Emmanuel Adjei, 28, of the Mobile Force Unit, Accra and Jersey J. Tumawoo, 29, of the Nima Police Station, Accra were, together with Moses Larbi, 32, said to have arrested the drug peddler on September 1, 2006 at Akropong-Akuapem.
The convicts collected GH¢514.60 and seized eight wrapped pieces of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine from the drug peddler whom they later left off the hook.
The three, who were charged with possessing narcotic drugs, conspiracy to commit crime and corruption, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, presided over by Mr Justice Gbie S. Suurbaareh, a State Attorney, Mr Frederick Tetteh said at about 4.30 p.m. on September 1, 2006, Chief Superintendent G. O. Ahenkan of the Akropong-Akuapem Divisional Police Command had information that some policemen had gone to Akropong to effect the arrest of a suspected drug dealer.
The prosecutor said Chief Inspector Ahenkan also indicated that the two police constables and Larbi, a member of a watch-dog committee in Accra, also collected unspecified sums of money from the drug peddler.
Mr Tetteh said when a team of policemen from the Akropong Divisional Police Command were sent to investigate the incident, they arrested the convicts, while another accomplice whose name was only given as Paul managed to escape.
A search conducted on the three led to the discovery of eight wrapped pieces of a whitish substance suspected to be cocaine and GH¢514.60 in the pockets of the police constables.
During interrogation, the convicts told the police that they collected the money from the drug peddler who they later released.
Sentencing them, the court said instead of the police constables assisting in the fight to rid the country of the drug menace, they rather engaged themselves in the negative practice.