<<Print>>

A policeman attached to the Tesano Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) lost his life around 2:30am last Thursday after he was shot by a member of a gang of armed robbers. Lance Corporal George Korankye was part of a patrol team chasing a group of five motorbike riding youth suspected to be armed robbers who had attacked a house in the general area of West Loop, a portion of Tesano in Accra. Upon spotting the patrol team, the gang fled amidst random firing of gunshots to ward off the cops. In the course of the chase, one of the five motorbikes with a pillion rider hit a gutter, throwing the occupants off. As the policemen continued their pursuit, they came under a barrage of attacks and the patrol team returned fire. Lance Corporal George Korankye moved towards the gangsters who had been thrown off the motorbike in an attempt to grab one of them. Before he could achieve his objective, however, he was hit by a bullet which exited from the left hand side of his chest and he died instantly. The remains of the deceased cop have been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue as investigations continue into the incident. No arrests have been made. The Tesano District Police Commander would not release details about the shooting when contacted yesterday, but the incident is said to have attracted the empathy and concern of personnel especially those on night patrols. It is common for police patrol teams to exchange fire with armed robbers; but in most cases, the cops out-fire the robbers with their superior fire-power and near precision firing. Motorbikes have become a preference of many armed robbers these days; and they have been used in many armed robbery operations in recent times. Concerns are being raised in many quarters about the menace and whether there is nothing that can be done to curb it. A few months ago, a police patrol team shot and killed some four or so young men on motorbikes at Accra New Town under hazy circumstances. While the Police claim they were criminals others said they were not. In the Ashanti Regional capital, killer gangs are virtually straddling the Garden City, and these miscreants use motorbikes in their daredevil operations, some of which are undertaken during daylight.