The Minister of Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo has expressed shock at the alleged involvement of the Director-General in charge of Police Human Resource, COP Patrick Timbilla, in the recent Police recruitment scam.
[contextly_sidebar id=”yq1mIJ8zti1Z4rIj53guulzCp4plAHl9″]“I am not only surprised I’m shocked. If it is true, I will be shocked because I thought his rank is such that I don’t expect him to go down to that level. I want to believe that it is not true.”
Hundreds of people thronged various Police training depots for enlistment but later found out it was all a scam.
COP Timbilla was subsequently put under house arrest for his alleged involvement in the scandal.
Speaking on Radio Ghana on Sunday, Mr. Woyongo said government is keenly following the development and will support any recommendation from the Police service.
When asked whether there was the need to set an independent body to investigate the issue, the Interior Minister said his “ministry has no objection to any independent investigation but I am convinced that the police are capable of investigating this.”
He explained that “after their investigation or after their report, if we are not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation we can still ask for an independent organization to investigate this issue. That is why we are thinking of the establishment of an independent police commission. If independent commission was in place it would have investigated this issue.”
Meanwhile, so far, about eight persons have been arrested in connection with the scandal.
Timbilla is no more under house arrest
The Police Administration has said the interdicted Director-General in charge of Police Human Resource, COP Patrick Timbilla is no more under house arrest.
Some Police officers were on Saturday dispatched to ensure Timbilla does not leave his home and also to ensure investigations are not compromised.
However speaking to Citi News on Sunday, the Director-General of Police Public Affairs, DCOP Ampah-Benin said Mr. Timbilla can now move about freely as an ordinary Ghanaian citizen.
“He is not under house arrest. He can move from his house,” he stated.
“He can go anywhere now but when the investigative team needs him, they can call him,” Bennin added. Mr Bennin was however quick to add that since “he is on interdiction, he cannot work as a Police Officer until the issue is finally resolved.”
He further revealed that Mr. Timbilla is helping the “investigative team to answer any possible question they may put to him.”
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana