GHANA'S 2005 INL END USE MONITORING REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ACCRA 000419 SIPDIS INL FOR JLYLE, EROESS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AFIN SNAR GH SUBJECT: GHANA'S 2005 INL END USE MONITORING REPORT REF: A. STATE 222564 ¶B. ACCRA 00387 Per reftel A, post submits the following end-use monitoring report. ¶A. RESOURCES: ¶1. (U) At the end of calendar year 2005, INL rolled over a total of $11,388.45 in funds subobligated to Ghana's Narcotics Control Board (NCB) under the FY00 LOA and subsequent amendments between the GOG and USG. Unliquidated balances of $37 for a Customs, Excise & Preventive Service project; $51,147 for the Ghana Police Service Internal Affairs project; and $200,000 from the Ghana Police Service training project still remain from our FY03 allotment. COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM ¶2. (U) In 2002, the Embassy donated 22 bicycles to the Community Policing Unit at the Cantonments Police Station in Accra. In August 2004, the Embassy donated an additional 20 bicycles to this unit. ¶3. (U) In February 2005, the Embassy handed over another 20 bicycles to the Ghana Police Service's Community Policing Unit in Kumasi. BASIC POLICING SKILLS PROGRAM ¶4. (U) In October 2005, ICITAP police instructors donated equipment used in their 14-week Basic Policing Skills course to the Police Training College in Tesano, Accra. The USG equipment donated included the following items: - 1 Hewlett Packard Desktop Computer/Monitor - 1 Hewlett Packard Deskjet 5500 Color Printer/Copier/Fax - 1 Hewlett Packard laptop - 3 Hewlette Packard digital cameras - 1 Epson PowerPoint Projector - 1 APC Battery Back-up - 12 Airsoft Training Guns - 2 Easels with whiteboards DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SUPPORT UNIT (DOVVISU) ¶5. (U) In 2002, the Embassy donated three computers and one server to Ghana Police Service's Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU). In 2005, GPS renamed this unit the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVISU),but it still has responsibility for crimes targeting women and children. POLICE INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS (PIPS) UNIT ¶6. (U) In February 2005, the Embassy donated four HP Compaq dx2000MT computers, and one HP LaserJet printer to GPS's Monitoring and Inspections Unit. This unit was later renamed the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Unit. NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD (NCB) ¶7. (U) In 2005, the Embassy donated no new equipment to the Narcotics Control Board (NCB). From 2002 to 2004, the Embassy procured and handed over the following items to NCB (see reftel B): - 1 voice stress analyzer (2002) - 1 Ghost infinite mobile cellular transmitter (2002) - 2 Suzuki motorcycles (2003) - 8 crash helmets (2003) - 1 KIA van with surveillance equipment (2003) - 1 covert gym bag for surveillance (2003) - 2 itemizers (2003) - 1 Suzuki motorbike (2004) - 4 Suzuki motorcycles (2004) - 15 tactical vests (2004) - 10 standard handcuffs (2004) - 1 laptop computer (2004) - 1 InFocus projector (2004) - 1 Kodak Easyshare digital camera (2004) - 2 Gavmin personal navigators (2004) - 6 Motorola radios (2004) - 4 training guns (2004) - 1 tripod (2004) ¶B. PROCEDURES: ¶8. Post retained statements from NCB Executive Secretary Col. Isaac Akuoko of the NCB signed in 2004 acknowledging receipt and proper use of all equipment donated (see reftel B). ¶C. STATUS: COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM ¶9. (SBU) The Embassy's inspection of the Cantonments program showed that only four of the 42 bicycles donated are being used for regular patrols, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ¶10. (U) Regarding the Embassy's February 2005 donation to the Kumasi unit, ASP John Quaye told the Embassy that these bicycles are still in storage and have never been deployed because the GPS has not yet trained personnel to man bicycle patrols. BASIC POLICING SKILLS PROGRAM ¶11. (U) The equipment from the Fall 2005 ICITAP course is still present at the Police Training College in Tesano and was being used for training 30 officers when ICITAP instructors Bob Coburn and Darryl McEachern arrived on Feb. ¶6. It will be used for the ongoing course, and another one immediately following it. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SUPPORT UNIT (DOVVISU) ¶12. (U) All the USG equipment is still in use at the DOVVISU re gional offices at the Ministries Police Station in Accra. DOVVISU maintains the equipment through an outside contractor. POLICE INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS (PIPS) UNIT ¶13. (U) PolOff observed PIPS officers using three of the computers to track human rights abuses and complaints of misconduct. PIPS uses the fourth computer as a server to permit file sharing by the unit's staff and to store the unit's personnel records. The computers are well-maintained by an outside vendor, and PIPS obtains replacement printer cartridges from the GPS' Quartermaster as needed. NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD ¶14. (SBU) The NCB required several days' notice, and it took two visits to the agency to observe the KIA van. NCB agents had difficulty opening its side door and admitted that it had not been used for an investigation for some time. ¶15. (U) NCB Executive Secretary Col. Isaac Akuoko said NCB uses three of the motorcycles regularly, and two are held at NCB's offices in reserve. He said NCB is able to obtain a mechanic's services without difficulty when needed, and all the motorcycles are operating without problems. ¶16. (SBU) Two other motorcycles also were not present at NCB. According to Akuoko, NCB handed these over to the counternarcotics units of the Customs, Excise & Preventive Service (CEPS) and GPS. The handcuffs also were in use in the field at the time of post's inspection. ¶17. (SBU) NCB reported that it does not use the global positioning system (GPS) personal navigators because they lack satellite service. Additionally, although NCB agent Ben Ndego attended training in Washington, D.C. to use the voice stress analyzer, NCB has never had occasion to use the device in interrogations. Finally, the Motorola radios are only used for training purposes because they are so large that they reportedly attract too much attention during counternarcotics operations. ¶18. (SBU) PolOff was unable to observe the covert gym bag, the ghost phone, or the digital camera. NCB said these items are stored at its Operations Center at Kotoka International Airport, but they said an Embassy visit would disrupt their operations. ¶D. PROBLEMS: COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM ¶19. (U) Thirteen bicycles are broken down, primarily from lack of chain lubricant, worn out brakes, and other parts difficult to replace in Ghana. PolOff observed these bicycles stacked in a heap, one on top of another, in a Quartermaster's shed behind GPS Headquarters. Chief Inspector Kwame Tawiah, the commanding officer of the unit, said he planned to move the bicycles to a secure location attached to a police station in the Ridge area of Accra where they could be better maintained. Another 20 bicycles were in perfect working order but are stored at the Police Service Workshop. The remaining five are still with officers who formerly belonged to the unit. Tawiah said he has called for their return. ¶20. (SBU) The unit's current patrol members said many officers asked to be transferred because patrolling is physically demanding and especially difficult in black police uniforms under the sun. BASIC POLICING SKILLS PROGRAM ¶21. (U) No problems were reported with any of the equipment donated in 2005. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SUPPORT UNIT (DOVVISU) ¶22. (U) No problems were reported with any of the equipment donated. POLICE INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS (PIPS) UNIT ¶23. (U) PIPS officers said a single printer is inadequate to support a unit of six senior officers and up to 50 constables, inspectors and lance corporals. The lack of working air conditioning in PIPS' offices leads the computer attached to the printer to malfunction frequently. PIPS officers said a photocopier would greatly reduce the demands on the printer, but they do not have the budget to purchase one. NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD ¶24. (U) The NCB has no budget for the estimated $2,000 monthly fees associated with keeping the itemizers replenished with consumables. Both NCB and Ghana International Airways (GIA) have complained to post that one of the itemizers is no longer being used at Kotoka International Airport for this reason. Post is exploring whether INL funds from prior years can be used to replace the consumables to address this concern although NCB is supposed to be responsible for consumables under its Letter of Agreement with the USG. ¶25. (U) NCB requested the donation of another vehicle designed for transporting narcotics-related suspects to court. Col. Akuoko said NCB had to transport as many as 26 drug mules to court on a single day in a vehicle that cannot seat more than five. He expressed concern that his agents may be attacked from behind as these vehicles have no bars to protect them from passengers. (Comment: Post believes donating another vehicle would be an unwise use of USG resources. We have seen little evidence that the KIA van we donated has been used to conduct impactful surveillance during the past 18 months. Furthermore, NCB would not agree to lend it to GPS to surveill suspects in Ghana's biggest seizure of the year. End comment.) ¶E. IMPACT: COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM ¶26. (SBU) Despite the USG's donations of 40 bicycles to encourage community policing in Accra and Kumasi, these programs are "quite dormant" in the words of its former commanding officer. The units have suffered from staff recruitment and retention problems as well as poor bicycle maintenance. The Inspector General of Police Patrick Acheampong pledged to Community Policing officials that he will provide 12 to 16 new recruits this month to rejuvenate the bicycle patrols in both cities. (Comment: Acheampong took this decision after the DOJ's Eric Beinhardt inquired about the program's vitality when they met in September ¶2005. End comment.) ¶27. (SBU) The unit's former commanding officer told PolOff said the program dwindled despite the equipment donations because the IGP's predecessor had no enthusiasm for community policing. Tawiah also said that because bicycle patrolling is so physically demanding, the unit must rely on volunteers. ¶28. (SBU) The unit's current patrol members said that several officers were redeployed from their unit to train for a basketball competition between various security agencies. BASIC POLICING SKILLS PROGRAM ¶29. (U) In January 2006 the GPS adapted this training and used four of the ICITAP graduates to train 134 cadets in Winneba and Bolgatanga. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SUPPORT UNIT (DOVVISU) ¶30. (U) DOVVISU uses this equipment to track the cases and statistics reported to the Embassy for both its annual reports on Human Rights and Trafficking in Persons. POLICE INTELLIGENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS (PIPS) UNIT ¶31. (U) In January 2006, Assistant Commissioner Vincent Dzakpata, PIPS' commanding officer, provided statistics and updates on misconduct and human rights abuse cases to the Embassy for its annual Human Rights Report. NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD ¶32. (SBU) NCB discusses ongoing investigations throughout the year with PolOff and the Drug Enforcement Agency in Lagos. In 2004, NCB used the KIA van and the surveillance equipment to arrest traffickers of 580 kg of cocaine, described at the time as the largest drug seizure in West Africa on record. Airlines representatives report that NCB's vehicles and one itemizer are being used regularly. However, in 2005 NCB primarily arrested couriers, which did not require the use of surveillance equipment. When post requested that NCB provide the van and surveillance equipment to assist GPS with the November 2005 case involving the seizure of 588 kg of cocaine, Akuoko restricted his offer of assistance to a few radios and a car. He told PolOff that he does not want GPS to develop a "parallel organization" with the same capabilities as NCB. ¶F. PROGRAM CHANGES: ¶33. No program changes are warranted for DOVVISU or PIPS. COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM ¶34. (U) Any additional assistance or replacement parts to this unit should be contingent on the implementation of the IGP's staffing plan and his commitment to keep the unit operational. BASIC POLICING PROGRAM ¶35. (U) This program has the potential to transform the Ghana Police, reduce human rights abuses and lead to human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. It also plays a significant role in helping the Mission to achieve its human rights and law enforcement cooperation goals. The current IGP is very interested in this training and has fully supported it. The USG should continue to assess if the expansion of this program requires more resources. NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD ¶36. (U) In August 2005, the USG signed an agreement to provide $200,000 in additional training and assistance to NCB and its sister law enforcement agencies. NCB agreed to improve interagency cooperation. Post must continue to raise its concern over lack of coordination and cooperation between the NCB and Ghana Police on counternarcotics with the relevant GOG officials and track progress on this front. Post does not recommend providing additional equipment to the NCB until it has fully accounted for the previously donated items.