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A police officer at the Aveyime Division of the Ghana Police Service in the North Tongu District of the Volta region, Lance Corporal Quashie, has been accused of masterminding an armed robbery attack on a resident of Mepe Traditional Area, Mr. Foster Ati. The 38-year-old led his four accomplices who are said to be natives of Battor Traditional Area to rob Mr. Ati at gunpoint in Mepe Roman Catholic Junior High School (JHS), which is adjacent to the Rural Bank on Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 12:00 midnight. Mr. Quashie and his four members who were driving an unregistered red coloured Opel Verano ordered Mr. Ati and his friend, Isaac Nyadzi, to stop at gunpoint when they were returning from the Holy Garden, a popular drinking spot at Mepe. And when the victim resisted, the police officer [Quashie] and his four accomplices, attacked Foster, searched his pocket and took from him GH�8,000.00 (8 million old Ghana cedis) which was in his wallet and fled. Meanwhile, close sources at Aveyime Police Station hinted Today that Mr. Ati�s robbery case is part of the several armed robbery cases that Quarshie has masterminded in the area since he was transferred to the Aveyime Police Station. It was reported that he was once charged and arraigned before a Circuit Court in Mafi-Adidome for similar armed robbery and assault cases in the area. �Since Quarshie came to the station, he has been fined by an Adidome Circuit Court to pay an amount of GH� 3,000.00 (30 million old Ghana cedis) to the victims he had allegedly robbed and assaulted. �Worst of it all is that we have not finished paying that amount of money and now he has masterminded a similar armed robbery on Mr. Ati,� some police officers at the station who pleaded strict condition of anonymity told Today. Narrating his ordeal to Today, Mr. Ati said the horrific incident happened on Sunday, July 27, 2014 when he attended a bomb-fire occasion to climax this year�s annual Afenorto Festival of Mepe. According to him, when he went to Holy Garden with friends to take some drinks, the Aveyime police officer, suddenly approached him and his friends advising them not to fight anyone at the venue. However, he continued that upon noticing certain actions and inactions of the police man at the venue, they became suspicious hence they decided to vacate the location and go home. It was on their way that the police officer in question drove his car towards them and ordered them to stop causing them to take to their heels upon sensing danger through his movement. �..to our surprise the Aveyime police officer asked us to stop and my friend Isaac Nyadzi sensing danger took to his heel and left me alone�.� He said it was then that the police officer who was in the company of four civilians confronted him and took the said amount from him after attacking him. He continued that he lodged a formal complaint at the Aveyime District Police Command who have failed to cause the arrest of Lance Corporal Quarshie and his accomplices. The lukewarm attitude of the Mepe Police, the paper gathered, has led to the building up tension between the police and the youth of Mepe. Annoyed by the incident, the youth accused the police of taking sides in an armed robbery case masterminded by Quarshie. According to them, the police have not been fair in the handling of what they described as a �gruesome armed robbery case� involving Quashie and his four accomplices. The youth, who are threatening to petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP,) Mr. Alhassan Ahmed Mohammed, accused the station officer of Aveyime District Police Station, Chief Inspector, John A Misida, of bias. Against this backdrop, the youth called on IGP, Mr. Alhassan Ahrmed Mohammed to immediately probe the matter to ensure that the suspect faces the full rigors of the law. �We commend the police for maintaining safety and security of Ghanaians but we do not understand why Mr. Quarshie who used his gun and vehicle to rob, is now walking free on the streets of Battor-Aveyime as if there is no law in this country�,� they pointed out. When Today reached the Aveyime Station Police Officer who only gave his name as C.O. Misida, he confirmed the attack on Mr. Ati but flatly denied that his outfit was out there to �kill the matter.� Investigations, he said, were on-going to identify and arrest the four accomplices of Lance Corporal Quarshie, adding that after the conclusion of the investigations, they would be arraigned before court. He warned that the Ghana Police Service would not shield criminal elements within it. �We will identify them and strike them out,� Mr. Misida assured.