Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ACCRA419
2006-02-15 15:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA'S 2005 INL END USE MONITORING REPORT

Tags:  AFIN SNAR GH 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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:
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.