Police not paying bills; intimidate GWCL officers

Europa

April 18, 2016 6:58 PM

The Ghana Police Service is currently owing the Ghana Water Company over GHS71, 000, the AG report has said.

Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum has accused the police of intimidating officers from the Ghana Water Company who come to them to collect bills.

Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing into the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Auditor General’s report on Monday, the Minister said the situation has rendered efforts by his outfit to retrieve monies unsuccessful.

“Our officers are doing their best. Sometimes they even go to disconnect people and they get pursued by police in some cases …institutions like police if you go to collect your bills sometimes we have difficulties. They do not want you to disconnect them and they do not want to pay the bills as well, but our officers are doing their best to get our monies back,” he said.“There have been instances our officers will go to disconnect the police and the police will actually arrest them. The only charge is that they have not paid their bills and our officers are disconnecting them,” he added.

Chairman of PAC Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has subsequently asked the Ministry to report police officers who arrest officials of the water company for disconnecting their water flow because they owe bills to the Complaints Office of the Ghana Police Service or to the Inspector General of Police.

“This type of arrest I think is abuse of power and intimidation," the Chairman of PAC added.

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