Forty-six police personnel from the Formed Police Unit (FPU), who were accused of sexual misconduct while on United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, have been repatriated.
The personnel arrived at the Kotoka International Airport around 1:30pm on board a chartered flight on Wednesday, May 30, 2018.
The personnel were recalled from Wau on February 22 and confined to a base in Juba after preliminary investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation by the United Nations.
According to the UN, it received information that the Ghanaian personnel were allegedly engaged in transactional sex, which clearly violates the UN and UNMISS Code of Conduct that prohibits sexual relationships with vulnerable individuals.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu, upon receiving the news, sent a team to Sudan to investigate the case.
According to the Director General in-charge of the Police Intelligence and Professional Bureau (PIPS), the team had completed its investigations and was awaiting the results of the United Nations investigators to compare notes in order to have a comprehensive report.
A statement issued and signed by Chief Inspector Richmond Mensah of the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service, confirmed the arrival of the police personnel who were stationed in Bentiu in South Sudan.
He said the police personnel were repatriated on administrative grounds per the United Nations rules and regulations and would resume full normal police operations as they await the full investigative report from the United Nations for further action to be taken.
It would be recalled that on Friday, February 25, 2018 after news of the alleged sexual misconduct broke out, the Director-General of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, ACP David Eklu, issued a release that confirmed that the FPU personnel on mission in South Sudan had been accused of sexual exploitation and abuse.
He said the alleged misconduct of the personnel put the image of the police service into disrepute and added that the police administration would institute administrative inquiry proceedings against the affected personnel upon their return.
“The necessary administrative inquiry will be conducted upon their return and if they are found guilty they may be reduced in rank or removed from the service,” he added.
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