Police arrest businessman with pump action guns

The Volta Regional Police Command on Friday arrested a 52 year-old businessman with two pump action guns with 250 cartridges in a special road check at Juapong.

William Asare-Gyapong, the suspect told the Police that the firearms and ammunition were given to him by a crime officer at Akropong, to be delivered to some individuals in Ho whose names he could not mention.

He told the Ghana News Agency that he had kept the guns and cartridges for two months and was forced to drive to Ho to deliver them since their owners were not coming for them.

Asare-Gyapong was initially reluctant to open the booth of his Land Cruiser Prado until the Regional Police Commander who led the operation insisted the he did so.

Mr Ampah Bennin, said after checking Asare-Gyapong’s driving license and the condition of his car, his suspicion was aroused by the suspect’s “quick movements” and therefore decided to check the booth of the car as well.

He said Asare-Gyapong and the items would be handed over to the Regional Crime Officer for further investigations.

Mr Ampah-Bennin said information available to the Police indicated that some people were resorting to using the Eastern Corridor through the region to ferry firearms to trouble areas in the northern regions.

Meanwhile one Victor Oklu, a driver who tried to bribe the Regional Police Commander with a GH¢1.00 has also been arrested.

Oklu, who was signalled by Mr Ampah-Bennin to stop for his driving license and other details on his car to be checked, quickly squeezed the money into his driving license and passed it on to Mr Ampah-Bennin.

More than 150 private and commercial vehicles were arrested with various road traffic offences during the joint exercise mounted by the Police, National Road Safety Commission and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

Their main offences included driving with worn out tyres, over-loading of passengers and goods and possession of fake documents.

Source: GNA