DRAMA AS ALL FIVE DAUGHTERS OF LATE COACH HERBERT ADDO ARRESTED AND DETAINED BY ADENTA POLICE

"I need to make a formal complaint about the manner in which my nieces’ were detained overnight at the Adenta Police Station cells on the night of 2nd February, 2018. My problem is who to send it to? Is it the IGP, the Chief Justice or the Attorney General? Is it to CHRAJ?

Coach Herbert Addo [late] and his 5 embattled daughters

Who can act to correct this on-going injustice with speed? Are we so powerless when it gets to these issues and should resign ourselves to our fate in Ghana? I am at a total loss this morning.

My nieces are the daughters of the late Coach Herbert Addo. Since his demise, the children have had an on-going problem with their stepmother who married their father a few months before he died. A physical fight with her a few weeks resulted in them being arraigned before the Adenta Magistrate Court yesterday.

The Judge advised that the case be settled within the family and both sides apparently agreed to appear on the 14th of March, 2018 to report to the judge. The 5 girls were asked to provide 2 Sureties each to bail them.

IGP, David Asante Appeatu

That is where I came in, arriving at the Adenta Police station at 11.15am to help in their bailing out. Although they needed 10 individuals to bail them, those of us gathered to do so at the Adenta Police Station on their behalf numbered 14.

That is when the "fun" began. Apparently, and to our amazement, the case investigator "vanished" after leaving them at the police station in the care of officer Kyei who was in charge at the counter. She turned of her phone and was unreachable and did not appear at the station for the rest of the time we were at the station.

Her phone was off at 6pm when I left the police station. 

Surely, it was either negligence or a deliberate ploy to mete out "the Friday Cell" treatment to the poor girls. I have always known that our criminal justice system is subject to abuse, what I witnessed yesterday was a sad commentary of this.

How can an investigator supposed to facilitate the bail "vanish" for hours when all Sureties were present by 11am? Why was it impossible for the District Commander, Head of station, and the police officers at the station to act to protect the human rights of individuals in their care when they were approached on countless occasions yesterday?

Why was there nobody to act with discretion especially when it became obvious that the investigator was not going to be around by the time the courts close meaning that they will spend the weekend in police cells? Was this a calculated action to punish these girls? My understanding is that officers of the law will do all to protect us all even when we are accused of a crime.

Why did they not help these girls when it became obvious we were not going to locate the whereabouts of the investigator? What a crude way to "teach people a lesson".

I am totally appalled. What remedies are available for this blatant abuse of human rights? I would have thought that spending the night in cells will be the last option and only happen if the accused failed to provide the Sureties. Why should they be incarcerated when the Sureties were there for close to 6 hours. Is it systemic failure in the police or an acceptable practice in Ghana's Police Service.

In all this I should recommend the registrar and court clerk at the Adenta Magistrate Court who waited until 4.45pm as we tried everything to in our power to locate the investigator.

My big question is this. What happens to this investigator so this is not repeated again to future victims? Is this an acceptable police practice to as it were, "teach individuals a lesson" to tow a certain line? What procedures are going to be put in place so that this is not repeated in other stations across the country.

Does the IGP sanction this behaviour of his officers? Does the judiciary system find this breach of the directive of the court acceptable? How can we allow our own citizens treated without any care for their dignity and human rights. Incidentally, one of the girls, heavily pregnant was allowed to be bailed at 4.30pm? What of the one with a breastfeeding child under 2 years?

What of the other who has a problem with her hip but had to stand throughout the cell incarceration? What makes it worse is we sort the sympathy of the officers who were kind enough to engage us. They could or would not help! As I pen this, the 4 girls are still inside the cells with no option but to be in there till Monday morning. Why am I so powerless to help? Why do we this to ourselves?

Why are our systems so bad? I am getting dressed to go to Adenta Police Station. Perhaps we will locate the disappearing investigator. What do I do, beg her to do the right thing. Mr IGP, least I forget, I know the name of the officer and office".

Saturday 3rd February 2018.

Elliot Agyare