Interior Minister Raises Alarm Over Security Personnel Aiding Criminals; Cites 3.9 Tonnes Cocaine Seizure In France

Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has expressed deep concern over allegations that some security personnel are aiding and abetting criminals in their activities.

Speaking at a public forum, the Minister lamented that persons who have been trained, screened and entrusted with sensitive positions are betraying that trust by collaborating with criminal networks.

"It's sad that even the recent things that we are hearing... you hear it is insiders who are aiding and abetting criminals," he said.

"If I'm supposed to be in charge of keying figures into a computer, I've been trained, my background checks... they are here before you are taken to do certain role... and trusted with that position, now you sit and when you are comfortable you are trading with that position," he added.

Hon. Muntaka warned that if such attitudes do not change, no external intervention can solve Ghana's security challenges.

"And if we don't change this attitude, there is no way we are going to get angels coming from the sky to come and solve this problem for us," he cautioned.

The Minister revealed that Ghana's international partners are beginning to lose confidence in sharing intelligence due to fears that information may be compromised by insiders.

"Now our counterparts abroad are even beginning to doubt to give us information... because they trade it to an insider... they don't know whether the insider, the minister is also part of it... They are doubting whether they should give you the information, will the information be secured or it will also be abused," he explained.

He cited the recent seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs from a container of plastic waste that arrived at the port of Dunkirk from Ghana, as well as similar pending cases with Australia and France, as examples where cooperation is stalling.

"So the situation that we have with the Australians... they are dragging their feet. Now we have one with France, the same. I'm meeting the French ambassador today. Why are they not trying to cooperate? Well, when they feel that it is our own personnel who are aiding," he said.

The Minister also cautioned against politicising security issues, noting that when arrests are made, some people attempt to frame them along party lines.

"When you go in to arrest someone then they begin, oh because I'm NPP or because I'm NDC, we try to politicize even the security services," he said, calling for stronger collaboration among security agencies to protect national integrity.