Transport Owner Arrested For Bribing Cop

Story by Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu

Posted - Wed, 16 May 2007
A forty-six-year-old transport owner, Mr Peter Mensah, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a police officer with ¢500,000 to set free the driver of his vehicle.

The suspect was said to have been warned when he made the first attempt but he returned to tell the police officer that he had doubled the amount.

The driver had committed a traffic offence and had been arrested by the Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, Mr George Adusa-Poku.

Mr Mensah was daring enough to go to the Regional Commander’s office to attempt to bribe him.

Narrating the incident to the Daily Graphic in his office, Mr Adusa-Poku said Mensah entered his office and said, “Masa, I have studied the offence and my driver is at fault so take this and let the case rest.”

That angered the commander and he asked Mensah to walk out of his office, explaining that he could not be bribed.
He said Mensah went outside and returned in a few hours, saying, “Masa, I have doubled the thing so take it and release my man.”

The commander said he was speechless and when he regained his composure he called the crime officer to arrest Mensah with the exhibit.

He said the driver of the vehicle was arrested because he parked his overloaded truck which had developed a fault in the middle of the road at Kwesimintsim.

The commander said when he came upon the truck and realised the danger it posed, he could not leave the scene, adding that at about 11.00 p.m. the driver emerged and after he had driven the vehicle to safety, he was arrested.

Mr Adusa-Poku reminded the public that bribing was an offence and both the giver and recipient were guilty.

He cautioned motorists, particularly those providing haulage services, to be mindful of the places they parked, saying that the police would not take kindly to any blatant disregard for road traffic regulations.