<<Print>>

A bird from the corridors of government has whispered into the ears of the New Crusading Guide newspaper that the decision to haul ACP Kofi Boakye to go through the Police Service Enquiry is a subtle move by some hawks within the Police Council as to dismiss the celebrated officer from the Service. According to the source, the ploy was masterminded by a sitting Minister of state who wields substantial influence within the Police Council with artillery support from a former Inspector General of Police (IGP). The intention of the people who are bent on protecting one of their own at the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) nearly had their way but for the swift and timely intervention of the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama. The New Crusading Guide gathered that the two men vehemently argued for the outright dismissal of ACP Kofi Boakye from the Police Service profusely citing excerpts from the Justice Georgina Wood Committee Report as their bases. When the debate for his recall or dismissal reached a crescendo, Vice President Mahama upon a briefing was said to be in a dilemma but kept his cool and virtually vetoed that ACP Kofi Boakye should not be dismissed. The two men with defeat starring at their faces upon the intervention of the Vice President softened their stance and insisted ACP Boakye�s office should not be anywhere near the police headquarters should he be reinstated. The council finally decided that the former Director of Operations of the Police Service be recalled but not to assume his former duty post but rather reassigned as Deputy to the Director of Police Education. It was also decided to the delight of his persecutors that he be hauled before a service enquiry to clear his name of allegations of corruption, abuse of office and professional misconduct. No wonder the Interior Minister Cletus Avoka forgetting that a court of law had clearly established that there were no acts of misconduct on the part of ACP Boakye was heard on radio saying that �he (ACP Boakye) would have been called back to work without any condition but because of the adverse findings that the Georgina Wood Committee made against him.�We (Police Council) thought that it would be in order of good governance and democracy to be able to clear his name of those allegations made against him (Boakye). If we bring him back for him to start work, people will ask what about the allegations made against him� Mr. Avoka opined. ACP Kofi Boakye reported at his new post last Friday in the Capacity as the Assistant Director of Police Education where he met the substantive head ACP Agyeman who briefed him. ACP Boakye would officially start work today but not without the thought of going through a potentially damaging service enquiry. At the court marshal hearing which will commence soon, ACP Boakye would be taken through barrage of questions after which his dismissal letter not based on concrete evidence would be handed over to him in order to satisfy the former IGP and the hawks within the NDC government. It would be recalled that ACP Boakye In 2006 was asked to proceed on leave following the Justice Georgina Wood Committee report which found him culpable in the infamous disappearance of large quantities of cocaine aboard the MV Benjamin vessel. The committee recommended his prosecution but the police administration asked him to proceed on leave pending further investigations into the case. The former President J.A Kufuor, a day before exiting office, it would be recalled ordered the Police Council to reinstate ACP Boakye and pay his full benefits. This plot is unknown to the Vice President and it is supposed to be a surprise package. The report of the service enquiry is expected to be leaked to a media house to publish before a copy is given to the Vice President who chairs the Police Council. This will be done because according to sources the NDC hawks are aware that the sitting Vice President John Mahama will not allow any injustice to be meted out to ACP Kofi Boakye. sources from the corridors of power also hinted that the ploy of a vague charge of him bringing the service into disrepute would be leveled against him. The question however is whether ACP Kofi Boakye in his work as a Police Officer has raised the image of the Ghana Police or has brought the image into disrepute? A Police Council member who was clearly not in support of the glaring injustice questioned whether the crime of ACP Kofi Boakye was meeting the suspected criminals who have been exonerated by an Appeals Court or his crime was the way he spoke to them on tape? The Police Council member who spoke to the Crusading Guide newspaper last night said �I am giving you this information because I was part of the meeting and I know that ACP Boakye would be dismissed if the plan is allowed to take effect�. Meanwhile there has been a lot of jubilation within the rank and file of the Ghana Police as well as within some top guns of the ruling NDC over the return of ACP Kofi Boakye. The overwhelming calls within the media celebrating his return is a clear demonstration of the man�s� professionalism and dedication to work.