The Interior Minister has said the police administration will deal ruthlessly with any of the eight police personnel accused of sexually assaulting women in South Sudan if they are found guilty.

Ambrose Dery disclosed to Joy News’ Rafiq Salam that the police have completed their investigation on the matter and are only waiting for the United Nations to bring witnesses to help in their prosecution.

Ambrose Dery made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with JoyNews Upper West correspondent Rafiq Salam at Kokoligu in the Nandom district

Ghanaian police unit working with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan last February were accused by women living in one of its protection camps at Wau to have sexually assaulted them.

An investigation was therefore launched and the alleged police officers were quickly recalled to Juba. 

The Service interdicted 14 out of the 46 officers who were repatriated from South Sudan for alleged sexual misconduct. 

Related: 14 Ghanaian peacekeeping officers interdicted over sexual misconduct

The 14 interdicted police officers are, Desupol/Mr. Henry Ntikura Agyemang, Sgt Richard Boahen Amponsah, CPL. Degraft Osei Nyantakyi, CPL.  K. Dodzi Homey and CPL. Kennedy Agyei.

The others are CPL. Imoro Dandzumah, CPL. Isaac Frimpong, L/CPL Bismark Eyram Dunyo, L/CPL Douglas Ofori, L/CPL David AsinyoL, CPL Ibrahim Issaku Musah and L.CPL Kingsley Etse Lotsu. 

A communique ordered for the residences of the officers are to be searched to retrieve all items given to them by the Service including weapons, uniforms and other paraphernalia.

Ambrose Dery is the Interior Minister

Updating the Upper West Regional correspondent in at Kokoligu, the Nandom MP stated that the police are prepared to dig in to the bottom of the matter and will not shield their own. 

He conceded that 2018 was a difficult year for the security of the country as its witnessed series of suspected cases of armed robbery in its first quarter.

According to him, it required immediate pragmatic measures were accordingly put in place and the situation was brought under control.

Commenting specifically about the series of armed robbery cases on the Bole-Bomboi highway, Mr Dery was hopeful that with the creation of the new Savanna region, it will help curb the robberies.