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Chiefs who thwart investigations into rape, defilement and other criminal cases and settle them in their palaces will suffer swift and ruthless consequences, DCOP Edward Kwateng, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Volta Regional, has warned.

He made it clear at a Meet-The-Press session in Ho yesterday that chiefs do not have any mandate whatsoever to settle such cases.

The regional police commander also warned pastors who meddled in police investigations to desist from that conduct in their own interest.

DCOP Kwateng revealed that since the beginning of this year, 14 people had been sentenced to a total of 140 years in jail for sex-related offenses in the region while four robbers were caged for a total of 82 years.

Five others convicted of human trafficking have been sentenced to a total of 24 years imprisonment and fines adding up to GH₵ 25,840.

He said that the Volta Regional Police Command was maintaining an uncompromising stance to prevent crime and make the region safe for the people and the business community.

In that vein, the regional police commander said that any individual or group whose unruly conduct disturbed the public peace would be made to face the full rigors of the law.

He said that the Volta Region was one of the peaceful regions in the country and that the police would continue to adopt and implement strategic initiatives at operational and tactical levels of law enforcement to enhance security in the region.

Meanwhile, DCOP Kwateng announced that police officers in the region had benefitted and were still receiving training in the area of high-risk law enforcement while personnel of the Criminal Investigations Department had also trained in crime scene investigations, anti-human trafficking, and cyber-related crimes.

“There is no doubt that the training is manifesting positive results in sensitive criminal cases,” he added.

DCOP Kwateng touched on the recent activities of secessionists in the region and gave the assurance that with the collaboration of other sister security agencies situation was now under control.

He renewed his appeal to the public to promptly volunteer information to the police on suspicious characters to speedy action.