The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigations into the recruitment of some 51 cadet officers at the Ghana Police Academy.

A statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said the investigations will border on “the use of office for profit, abuse of office, abuse of power, favouritism, nepotism, victimization and the selection of unqualified persons” in the recruitment processes.

This comes after the arrest of some police officers believed to be involved in recent bullion van attacks in the country.

On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the Police Service announced that four police personnel were arrested at Borteyman near Ashaiman in connection with an ongoing intelligence-led police investigation into some bullion van robberies.

The arrest has triggered calls for a drastic reformation of the Ghana Police Service as some have argued that the seeming fallen standards in the service are to blame for police officers’ involvement in these crimes.

A security analyst, Emmanuel Kotin, recently also called on politicians to desist from interfering in the recruitment process of the service.

He said politicizing the service retards its professionalism.

“I’m calling on the political parties to as a matter of urgency look at their recruitment regime and the influences they play in the selection. Some people don’t even go for the screening and medicals and because it’s coming from a big man, it is assumed that the person is of good moral character. That’s why more often than not, we have these challenges.”