Incidentally, the ex-policeman, Godwin Prince Yorke, had, on July 31, 2008, been dismissed from the Ghana Police Service for extortion.

Yorke and his friend, Lance Corporal Ebenezer Donkor, have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigations.

The Director-General of the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS) Bureau, DCOP Timothy Ashley, told the Daily Graphic at the weekend that the alleged suspect in the wee-smoking case had petitioned PIPS that L/Cpl Donkor and Yorke wrongfully arrested him on February 17, 2010, for smoking "bonto", a locally treated tobacco.

He said Donkor and Yorke arrested the petitioner and subsequently demanded GH¢200 from him to drop the case.

According to him, the petitioner claimed that after persistent harassment, he paid GH¢80 and promised to pay the balance later.

DCOP Ashley said the petitioner then petitioned PIPS, following intense pressure from the policeman and his friend to collect the balance of GH¢120.

He said PIPS then gave the petitioner GH¢100 in GH¢5 denominations after their serial numbers had been taken, after which the petitioner asked Dokor and Yorke to collect GH¢l00 from his wife at Santa Maria.

DCOP Ashley said at about 11:50 a.m. on March 3, 2010, Yorke went to the petitioner's house to collect the GH¢l00 where he was arrested.

According to him, on March 4, 2010, Donkor, who was stationed with the Highway Patrol team, was invited for questioning.

He said Donkor allegedly admitted that he and Yorke had collected GH¢80 from the complainant after he had pleaded for leniency and that they were to collect a balance of GH¢ 120 from him later.

DCOP Ashley said Donkor claimed that at the time the petitioner called them to collect the balance, he (Donkor) was on duty and, therefore, he asked Yorke to pick it up.

Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana