The Inspector-General of Police(IGP) Mr. James Oppong Boanu has denied claims by former President John Dramani Mahama that the government is bribing Police Officers with between GHC 1,000 and GHC2,000 for votes. Mr Mahama alleged that all Police officers have been paid one thousand cedis and two thousand cedis ahead of the special voting this week.
He indicated that these officers will pocket the money and still not vote for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). The former President who was speaking to a gathering in the Tamale North constituency said “I just learnt from a group of police officers that they have paid money into their accounts because they know that they have destroyed the morale of the Police service.
He added “Promotion in the service is based on your political colour instead of your merit and he thinks that he can buy our police officers with Thousand or two thousands cedis just because an election is coming . They will take that money and they will vote against you”.
However, speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency, Mr. Boanu denied the allegations of vote buying made by John Dramani Mahama. According to him, similar allowances were distributed to the Police during the COVID-19 lockdown period and unlike previously when such allowances were paid on tabletop and some personnel got short-changed, the Police Administration decided to pay into their Bank Accounts.
He added that the GHC 600 paid into the accounts of the Police personnel are their allowances for electoral duties for five days with the additional GHC 100 meant for sewing uniforms which arrived late hence the inability of the Service’s tailoring department to sew them.
