By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Tema, May 10, GNA-The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), William Ayaregah, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, has called for the establishment of an emergency fund to fight human trafficking in Ghana.
DSP Ayariga, who is also the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at the Headquarters of the Police Service, made this known during the closing ceremony of the European Union-funded project to support the fighting of human trafficking in the states of the Gulf of Guinea.
The project is implemented by Expertise France Ghana in collaboration with the Human Trafficking Secretariat under the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
He said an imprest should be given to the three agencies fighting human trafficking in the country, which are the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), monthly to fast-track their activities.
DSP Ayaregah cited an example of the unavailability of funds in a past situation that almost marred their operations in Akropong, noting that the swift intervention of an organisation led to the rescue of three people with the apprehension of the suspect who was put before the court.
He explained that if funds were readily available, they would not have to appeal to individuals and organisations to support them in emergencies, stressing that limited resources have always been an impediment to their activities.
He said minor issues faced in the anti-human trafficking unit of the Ghana Police Service and other agencies could end if emergency funds were made available.
DSP Ayaregah mentioned that human trafficking continued to be a human rights violation and a threat to the development of society and must be eliminated with all efforts.
Expertise France trained some agencies and institutions, including the Ghana Police Service and some members of the Judiciary Service, among others, on human trafficking.
He mentioned that the training was a step in the right direction as trained officers had impacted hugely on the activities of personnel, stressing that it improved their detective, investigating and evidence gathering processes.
He said the training had also had an impact on the judicial system, as heavier sentences were now being given to perpetrators, revealing that a man and his wife were convicted for 18 and 16 years, respectively, due to human trafficking, a testament to the result of training the judiciary on the impact of human trafficking.
DSP Ayaregah appealed that police prosecuting officers be added to the next phase of training to give them skills in their detective work.
GNA