The IGP Must Resign � Allotey Jacobs

The Central Regional Director of Communications for the ruling NDC, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, says the continuous stay in office by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Paul Tawiah Quaye, following reports that a slab of cocaine exhibit in the custody of the Police has turned into Sodium Bicarbonate (baking powder) casts a slur on the integrity and professionalism of the service, and has therefore demanded his immediate resignation. His comment comes in the wake of reports that a slab of a substance initially confirmed to be cocaine which was seized by the police has later turned into sodium carbonate (commonly known as washing soda). According to Allotey Jacobs who was contributing to discussions on Peace FM�s Kokrokoo Morning Show, the IGP�s competence has been called into question on numerous occasions when he allowed unprofessional conduct from officers to go on right under his watch. He accused the �IGP of not being in control of the administration� adding that the police, under his (Tawiah�s) tenure, only focuses on erecting barriers to extract money from drivers instead of gathering information to keep the security of the state going. �The IGP is not a professional police officer. Under his administration a lot of negative things have happened and I think he is not in control of the administration. Maybe, he has caged himself in a room and listening to stories�There are issues every day and instead of our police service behaving professionally, they are only concerned about setting up barriers�and thus becoming a nuisance. Instead of training policemen to be professionals�all they do care about is erecting barriers,� he stated. There was drama at a Circuit Court in Accra on Tuesday when it came to light that a slab of cocaine found on one Nana Ama Martin, which was kept in the custody of the Police Headquarters has turned into Sodium Bicarbonate. The court therefore charged the IGP to institute a service enquiry to determine who might have tampered with or changed the slab of cocaine. Acquitting Nana Ama over the drug charges, the court further ordered the IGP to prescribe the necessary sanctions in respect of the case. It would be recalled that the accused person was arrested by officers of the Panthers Unit at the Police Headquarters on August 28, 2008 in a taxi cab. A spot search on her revealed a slab of a substance suspected to be cocaine in her handbag. The case was later referred to the Narcotics Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters where investigations into the matter began. On August 29, 2008, the exhibit was forwarded to the Police Forensic Laboratory for examination. It tested positive for cocaine with a net weight of 1.018kg. The substance had been in the custody of the Police for the past three years until when hearing commenced this year and the defence counsel insisted that the drugs should be re-tested at the Ghana Standards Board (GSB). After the re-testing at GSB, the result tested negative saying the substance weighing 1,020 grams was Sodium Bicarbonate. But the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is unhappy at the turn of events and have pointed accusing fingers at the court.