Guard granted GH¢10,000 bail over illegal possession of police, military accoutrements
The Accra Circuit Court has granted GH¢10,000 bail with a surety to a palace guard, accused of illegally possessing police uniform and other property.
Julius Aryee, also known as Julius Nketia Boateng, denied the offence, and he would reappear before court on June 19.
Police Inspector Edna Aninga told the court presided over by Mr Kwabena Koduah Obiri-Yeboah that the National Police Intelligence Directorate was the complainant.
It heard that the accused, Aryee, was a 23-year-old palace guard, living in Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama.
Insp Aninga said the police received information that a young man was parading himself as a policeman at Agbogbloshie and its enclave.
The prosecution said the police arrested Aryee, and when he was interrogated, he confessed that he was not a policeman, but he sometimes dressed in police or military uniforms for fun.
Insp Aninga said a search conducted in his room at Agbogbloshie uncovered three black berets, two army caps, three army ‘T’ shirts, three army badges, a dummy pistol and a T-shirt with police badge and Accra Regional Police inscriptions at the back of the shirt.
The court heard that the accused willingly granted police access to his mobile phone, and inspection conducted on his WhatsApp revealed pictures of him fully dressed in police and military uniforms.
Insp Aninga said investigation on the accused person’s Tiktok handle named “SMART.KVNG,” showed an uploaded pictures of supply himself dressed in police and military uniforms on separate occasions.
The prosecution said the accused also confirmed police information that he was sometimes found with a side arm.
Insp Aninga said that both the dummy side arm and all the uniforms belonged to his two brothers, who he claimed were policemanand soldier, stationed in Takoradi.
The court heard that the police during investigation went to Mpatasie, near Agona Nkwanta, in the Western Region, where the accused had been employed as a guard in the queen mother’s palace.
Insp Aninga said a search in a room allocated to the accused, at the palace, uncovered a black long sleeve police uniform with the name “Nketiah Boateng” and Ghana Police Service crest inscribed on both chest with a police lanyard hanged on the wall in the room.
The prosecution said accused confessed to the police that the uniform belong to him.
Insp Aninga said investigation conducted indicated that the accused did not have any brother in the police or army.
The court heard that investigation revealed that the accused is known in Agbogbloshie and Kwame Nkrumah Circle as a policeman stationed at Agbogbloshie for the past two years. —GNA
