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Three arrested for alleged extortion from traders at Race Course market

Three persons are in the custody of the Suame Police Station in Kumasi for allegedly extorting monies from traders on Thursday November 2, who are to be relocated to the Race Course Market on Monday, 6th November.

The three, two men and a woman were among 10 persons registering affected traders at Race Course Market in the relocation exercise.

BACKGROUND

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) on Tuesday announced the relocation of traders and drivers in the Central Business District (CBD) of Adum, Kejetia, Pampaso, S.A.T and Dr Mensah areas are to be relocated to Race Course and Abinkyi markets.

The relocation exercise according to the Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi, is to pave way for the contractors working on first phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project have access to the artillery roads around the project and upgrade them.

The relocation is also to help ease the heavy vehicular and human congestion and to also pave way for some rituals to be performed as part of activities marking the final funeral rites of the Late Queen mother of Asanteman, Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II, who passed on to the ancestors in 2016.

REPORTS OF EXTORTION

Speaking to otecfmghana online on the arrest of the three persons, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Assembly, Godwin Okumah Nyame explained that they picked reports of some people registering traders and extorting monies from the traders under the pretext of allocating spaces for them to carry their trade.

“The Assembly subsequently sent officials there and chanced on 10 people registering traders, they ran away but three of them were arrested,” he said.

“The three are currently in police custody at Suame police station as they assist in further investigations,” Okumah Nyame,” added.

He stated that the three suspects who are not staff or Assembly members of KMA had in their possession sheets with names and telephone numbers of traders at the time of the arrest.

Mr. Okuma said the assembly is not charging any fee for the relocation exercise and asked traders and drivers not pay any money to anyone on the exercise.

“The Assembly is not charging any fee for the relocation exercise, so please, traders and drivers, report any staff or assembly member or anyone who tries to extort monies from you with a promise of securing you spaces at Race Course and Abinkyi markets,” he appealed.

otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah

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