Ghana: Controversy over non-promotions of key police officers

Against the backdrop of the on-going cocaine for baking powder saga, which has previously be discussed in Ghana Politics & Security, and the controversial alleged role of police officials in the disappearance of a cocaine exhibit, Ghana's police force is now wracked by another controversy – albeit one that is internal to its operations. A recent round of police promotions of six officers from the rank of deputy commissioner of police to commissioner of police, which was announced by President John Atta Mills earlier this month, has been criticised for not including five high achieving officers.

According to local press, these five include the team leader of a successful investigation into a local serial killer who was responsible for over 30 deaths; the supervisor of an operation that seized almost 600kg of cocaine worth approximately US$38 million; a former director of the Ghanaian criminal investigations department with a mandate covering drug crime, terrorism and trafficking; and officers with a track record of success in international missions under United Nations task force and missions.

In particular some of these officers - who, under existing police policy, are usually promoted every four years - have not been promoted for around a decade. Specific reasons for their exclusion have not yet been released so one can only speculate whether or not there is an unsavoury reason but, given the current pressure on some sectors of the police, further internal police tension is unnecessary.

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