Traders in the Accra have confessed to Asempa News that city guards have constantly demanded money and sex from them. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has thrown hundreds of its guards around the city, especially the central business district, to mill around for traders who sell on pavements and street corners. Traders who sell in unauthorized areas will have their wares seized. The guards seem to have found that as an opportunity to make quick money and good sex with helpless women in the city. A victim (name withheld) told Asempa News that some guards of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) demanded GHc50 and GHc150 from her on two occasions and on another occasion agree to have sex with him in order to have her confiscated goods returned to her. According to the victim who spoke on Asempa Fm’s “Asempa Today” programme, on three occasions, her goods were seized and because she had no money to pay the amounts being demanded, she had to succumb to having sex with them, before having her goods back. Accra tabloid recently published that some AMA guards at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra Makola Market and other parts of the city are demanding these huge sums of money from the traders and if the helpless traders fail to pay, they are asked to provide sex. The paper alleges that fair in complexion ladies are charged exorbitantly in order for them not to be able to pay, to enable the guards have sex with them. Speaking in an interview with Asempa News, the victim said she believes she is not the only person who has been treated that way. “Yes they slept with me! Three times. In the first time, I was able to pay part of the requested amount, but the subsequent ones, I could not afford, so they asked me to have sex with them instead of the amount,” she said. Asked whether she was forced, the victim said she was not forced, but because she wanted her seized goods she had no option than to succumb to their demand of having sex with her. “They did not force me, but I needed my goods. I did not like him [but] because of my goods, I had to allow them. They do it to most ladies, being fair, dark or chocolate”, the victim explained. Asked whether she could identify some of the guards, the victim answered in the affirmative. “I can identify them if I see them. The victim explained that several female traders are going through such ordeals but are afraid of coming out. Story: Kwaku Antwi-Otoo/Asempa FM