Open letter to Ghana Police Superintendent at CID Headquarters

Dear Mr. Superintendent,

The police are supposed to make citizens feel secure and protected. But in fact my experience with you has left a rather bitter taste. Although hours have passed the pain and hurt from your accusations still sting.

Someone comes to your outfit and accuses me of fraud. And you’re quick to say “it looks like she was planning to dupe you”. Yesterday (Tuesday 16 August 2016) in front of my lawyer you accused me of fraud. You stated emphatically “this is fraud’’ to which my lawyer objected.  This you said over and over again. You further wanted to keep me in custody because my accuser said I live outside Ghana and would jump bail. In the end the custody didn’t take place yet I was still treated as a criminal. My statement and photograph were taken…. just as you would do to a criminal.

Today Wednesday 17^th August you again repeated the accusation of me defrauding my accuser…. not once but several times. Your colleague Wisdom Kwaku also accused me of being “dishonest”. Between the two of you, you concluded I was a liar and a fraudster. All based on one person’s word. I’m absolutely disgusted and distraught by your treatment of me. You made me feel bullied and disrespected. And despite all my evidence, you never once doubted that perhaps, just perhaps the other party was lying.

I don’t know the exact complaint my accuser Augustine Shaka made to you. But I do know you’ve charged me with fraud.

The two days I spent at your office, I couldn’t understand how I was a fraudster. So I’m putting it out here for the world to determine.

In January this year Augustine and I had a verbal agreement as to certain renovations he would undertake on my property. I agreed to give him the property for five years BASED on what he said. Initially I wanted to do two years. But he convinced me to do five years by telling me the level of investment he would make on the property. Indeed he convinced me that by the end of five years my property would be splendid. When I noticed that he had not kept to his word I asked him either to do the job as agreed or tell me how much he had spent so I repay him and take my property back.
After claiming he had spent 160 billion cedis (why anyone would spend that amount renovating a complete stranger’s property still baffles me. Why not build several houses of your own???)

I suggested we get a Property Value to confirm this. And that’s when the dodging started.

After two months of ignoring calls from me, my lawyer and the Ghana Complaint Centre, I decided the only way to get his attention was to change the padlock. So I did. Rather than call me Augustine broke my padlock. Next thing I know I received a call from a man identifying himself as Frank Tartar from the office of the IGP. However I was on my way out of Accra with a tour group from the USA and didn’t want to deal with that situation at the time. On my return from travelling with the group, I decided to move into my property as I knew that would make Augustine come to me. Lo and behold he came…. but not alone. Augustine was accompanied by Wisdom Kwaku from CID who identified himself as the man who had called me (who then is Frank Tartar?). He asked me to accompany him to headquarters. I refused to go without my lawyer who I called and an appointment was made for Tuesday.

When my lawyer and I came to you on Tuesday, I relayed all that had transpired between Augustine and I. I even read out texts which I sent to Augustine from my mobile phone. I tried to give you my phone so you read yourself, but you didn’t take it. A lot of talking went back and forth…and in all that time you kept EMPHATICALLY insisting that I was a fraud, trying to dupe Augustine. You said you could charge me with fraud. I was cautioned, a statement taken and bail granted. Both Augustine and I were asked to meet with you again the following morning.

When we met on Wednesday again you kept harping on about how I was trying to dupe Augustine. To quote you ‘’It looks like she was duping you. She wanted you to renovate for her then she’ll take her property back’’. Again to quote you ‘’anyone hearing this story will say you’re a fraud’’

Despite the fact that Augustine himself even admitted certain things he verbally agreed to do (the ones he did do but he chose not to admit the other things) you still emphatically insisted and accused me of being a fraudster. Yes, Augustine admitted we had a verbal agreement. Yet you chose to ignore this. How hurtful and insulting. Augustine and I agreed to X. I agreed to give him my property for five years SOLELY BASED ON HIM DOING X.   HE DIDN’T DO X, AS WE AGREED. For over two months he was avoiding me whilst advertising my property for rent. I admitted to you the mistake on my part was not specifying our verbal agreement into a written one. AND THAT MR. SUPERINTENDENT IS MY ONLY CRIME.

You accused me SEVERAL times of trying to defraud Augustine. You were mean and left me reeling in a state of rage, shock and deep upset.

Where is the fraud? In asking him to meet me and a Property Valuer? In going to my property to get his attention? From the texts I read out, did I not offer to pay him whatever he had spent plus extra? Is this the fraud? Did I not say to him if we can rent the place for two years at $2500 he could have that money? Making $60,000. Is that fraud? Offering someone who had not kept their word money to get out of my property?

If anything Augustine is the fraudster because he deceived me into thinking he would do X. He did not keep to his word. Your accusation stings to the bone. My brand Blakofe is about HONESTY & TRUTH. How can I be defrauding someone who has not kept his word but has chosen to dodge all calls from myself my lawyer and Ghana Complaints Centre?

After leaving your office I was so enraged and upset I decided to come back to get your name. Shockingly you refused and told me to “ask the other officer”. You further stated “the way you’re asking my name is suspicious” (because by now you had realized I was a media person in Ghana.). After I bid you “have a good day Sir” you shouted aggressively at me “I’m the Superintendent here, I’m the Superintendent here” (yes twice). Again I said to you ‘’have a good day Sir’’ and walked out of your office as you ranted and raved about me saying you called me a fraudster.

Indeed Mr. Superintendent your body language, attitude and accusations towards me reek disturbingly of someone who has taken a huge bribe from the guilty party. Whether you have or not I know not. And I’m not necessarily saying you have. However your harsh and unbending behaviour certainly suggests that.

In closing I would appreciate it if you could clearly show me where the fraud is because with all due respect I still fail to see it. Either that or else render me an apology and ask Augustine to stick to our verbal agreement. For a man’s word is meant to be his bond. To accuse me of trying to defraud Augustine is deeply deeply upsetting and nauseating. I’m not perfect. But the one thing I am is honest. Again with all due respect, maybe next time before you’re quick to accuse someone based on their accuser’s complaint you should take time and investigate. Because people may say all sorts of things about me…. but a lying, dishonest fraudster you’ll never hear.

And yes I know now that I’ve put this letter out there, you’ll show me pepper. That is Ghana for you!

Yours in deep distress, disappointment and disgust, Blakofe.

The person falsely accused of fraud.

PS: I wonder how many men and women are rotting away in jail as a result of false accusations and ill treatment as meted to me.