In a continuing exercise to rid the Police Service of bad nuts, five more policemen have been dismissed for engaging in various forms of misconduct. This brings to at least 19, the number of personnel fired within this month for breaching service rules, according to police reports published in the media. Acting Police Public Affairs Director, Kwasi Ofori, said the latest batch of dismissed personnel faced service enquiry and were found guilty. That notwithstanding, he said, they will be charged before court. They are: General Constables Yoofi Nkwantabisa, 30; Owusu Sekyere, 28; Lance Corporals Karimu Abdul-Bassi, 32; James Otoo, 36 and Paul Abrakwa, 37. Briefing the Times in Accra on Friday, DSP Ofori said on April 30, 2006, Nkwantabisa, then with the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, allegedly stole a Mercedes Benz car which had been impounded by the police as an exhibit for investigation. In the case of Abrakwa, a driver, who was attached to the National Police Training School, Tesano, Accra, he was alleged to have stolen a pistol belonging to a fellow police officer in November 2006. Owusu Sekyere, of the Western Regional Police Command, in August 2006, reportedly stole rifle loaded with ammunition which was allocated to him but told the authorities that it was missing. In November 2005, while on duty, Bassi was alleged to have unlawfully released a prisoner from custody and ordered him to escape. In the case of Otoo, he allegedly brought a civilian mechanic to the CID headquarters in Accra in May 2004 to steal some parts of an exhibit BMW car. DSP Ofori said Otoo allegedly used a concrete block to break the windscreen of the vehicle which gave his accomplice access into the vehicle. According to DSP Ofori, the number of personnel dismissed for gross misconduct is unprecedented. He said it is to serve as a deterrent to others. The Police Administration in recent times has taken a bold step to weed out recalcitrant personnel who go contrary to the rules and regulations of the service, observers note. The move could be attributed to the instructions given by the Inspector-General of Police Patrick Acheampong, to all the regional, divisional district and unit commanders to provide effective supervision at their respective units or jurisdictions and also to deal with personnel with questionable character. Source: The Ghanaian Times