A Security Expert, Adam Bona, has advised governments to properly recruit party members they would want to work under the National Security Setup.
Speaking to Francis Abban on Morning Starr Tuesday, Mr. Bona said there have been a number of reports of National Security Personnel involved in illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey’ and other unlawful acts under the guise of National Security.
According to him, it is about time the government nip the canker in the bud adding that the situation has been in the country since the inception of the 4th Republic.
“Today you have every tom dick and harry who finds himself with a phone walks around the Blue Gate-National Security Ministry which used to be the Secretariat and goes around harassing people with an ID cards that is issued to him. Most often than not, some of these ID cards are not even on their Data Base and they go round committing all sort of crimes,” he disclosed.
The Security Expert said these persons are linked to some individuals sometimes within the National Security Setup itself, “so if you go inside and check these would not be a career National Security Operative. These would be political, those who came along the line with the NPP coming into power and they call themselves, we did this and that.”
Mr. Bona said the situation of National Security Operatives involved in unlawful acts are alarming “we’ve had several of them, go to the mining areas so many crimes committed by these criminals and hoodlums who call themselves National Security Operatives. You go and check usually when they are arrested you see them with military accoutrement and side arms.
“If the State want to recruit these people, stop paying them under the table lets recruit them and train them. Lets use them in a manner that would be befitting. Lets recruit them through the right process like the Police and Military would do so that these people are paid the normal way,” he advised.
However, the Police has disclosed that one of the suspects in the robbery that occurred in Kokrobite in Accra is a staff of the National Security.
Speaking to Francis Abban on Morning Starr, the Director of Public Affairs-Police Service, Supt Alexander Obeng assured that the Police Administration will not spare any security personnel found in the grips of the law for any unlawful act.
According to him, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will do the profiling of the suspects and in the right time will come out with their identities but added that “It’s already been confirmed that one of the arrested is a National Security Operative.”
“You cannot hide behind acrobatics, the law does not exempt anybody from criminal prosecution. Crime doesn’t pay. If you’re a compatriot, you better deliver a service that the general public approves rather than being a worker of crime. This is a clear indication to miscreants to refrain from committing crimes. The Police are ready and will not be perturbed.
“It is important that it is reinforced that it doesn’t matter your profession, the position you occupy now, in the future or in the past. If you don’t comply with the criminal code of Act 29 of 1960 and you commit any crime you will have your day in court,” he added.
