By Saddat Asiamah:
Christmas activities in the country are generally characterized by general lawlessness, crime and the wanton display of blatant disregard for authority. Therefore as part of its efforts to combat this ‘disorder’ during the impending Christmas activities, Regional Commanders have been directed to be on the red alert.
In response to this, the Brong Ahafo regional police command has launched what it calls ‘Operation Father Christmas’ to help curb and confront crime and general lawlessness in the country, particularly in the Brong Ahafo region.
To make action out of words, the Brong Ahafo Regional Police has conducted a dawn swoop which has led to the arrest of twenty suspects. Subsequent screening led to the release of only two, a woman and a teenager while the rest have been detained for further investigations after such items as television sets, computer sets, laptops, mobile phones and others were found on them under suspicious circumstances.
In an interview with Rite news, Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Christopher Tawiah of the Public Affairs unit of the Brong Ahafo regional police command said the two people who were found not guilty have been granted bail while the rest, including some teenagers remain under police custody.
He gave the names of the suspects as Owusu Banahene, 35, Sulemanu Idrissu, 26, Kwabena Yeboah, 24, Adama Mohammed, 25, Emmanuel Amafander, an 18-yr-old who was found with 179 substances suspected to be marijuana, Kwaku Isaac, 17, Kofi Kusi, 25, Adjei Damoah Elvise, 16, Collins Opoku, 45, Kwasi Richard, 28, Kofi Poku, 43, Baah Williams 18, Abdulla Alhasan, 19, Yeboah Bismark, 25, Theophilous, 24, Obeng Kofi Emmanuel, 26, Abu Musah, 32, and Charles Bafour, 18.
As the police described it, this operation is a swoop conducted within various communities in the municipality. He said their swoop was based on information gathered from the general public who volunteered relevant information to the police. ASP Tawiah disclosed that police cannot act without information from the public and that criminals are usually hesitant.
He urged the public to keep on exposing the bad ones among them and they will act accordingly while adding that members of the public know the criminals since they live with them, assuring that that is the only way to a safe yuletide.
Source: ritefmonline.org
