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A Cape Coast High Court has slapped Ghana Police Service with a ¢320,000 fine for the negligence of its officers over the shooting of three persons in a taxi cab.

The officers who were pursuing goat thieves from Twifo Praso fired into the car being driven by the thieves.

A stray bullet hit a moving taxi occupied by a couple and their daughter in the process.  

According to the plaintiffs, on January 10, 2019 and at about 6:30 am, they boarded a taxi cab from Ankaful Junction at Cape Coast and were shot at by the cops who said they were chasing robbers from Twifo Praso.

The bullet hit Mary Okyere Aboagye who died at the hospital, her husband and one Cecilia Mensah who was on her way to school.

Some bystanders rescued the victims and rushed them to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital where Mary Aboagye was pronounced dead while the other two victims sustained various degrees of injuries.

The court presided over by His Lordship Justice Kwasi Boakye explained that the judgment was not meant to intimidate and lower the morale of crime-fighting institutions such as the Police.

He urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Dampare to take proactive steps to ‘Damparize’ the Service.  

He noted that there was a dire need to undertake a complete overhaul or re-engineer the Service as far as its professional training needs and competence are concerned.