US embassy cable - 04ACCRA1923

UNCLAS ACCRA 001923 
 
SIPDIS 
 
INL PASS TO ALLISON HENRY-PLOTTS, US CUSTOMS TO BRUCE 
MERCER, DOJ/ICITAP FOR ERIC BEINHART, PARIS FOR CUSTOMS 
REP. GERARAD COTE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, SNAR, GH 
SUBJECT: FOR BORDERS AND BICYCLES: INL FUNDING BUILDS 
CAPACITY IN GHANA 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. Two key INL programs moved forward in Ghana recently, with 
the completion of anti-corruption training for the Ghana 
Customs and Excise Protective Service (CEPS) and the donation 
of forty patrol bicycles to the Ghana Police Service (GPS). 
Both programs were well-received and well-attended by host 
government officials and officers, and the bicycle handover 
ceremony garnered significant local press coverage. The use 
of INL funding to support these initiatives enhances the 
capacity for the creation of an internal affairs unit in CEPS 
and a community policing program in the GPS. End summary. 
 
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BUILDING CAPACITY FOR CUSTOMS INTERNAL AFFAIRS 
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2. On August 17-20, two trainers from the US Customs and 
Border Protection and the regional Customs representative in 
Paris conducted anti-corruption training with 35 mid- to 
senior-level officers of the CEPS in Accra. The training 
followed a needs assessment conducted by USCBP in December 
2003 of CEPS' ability to monitor and control corruption 
within its own agency. A follow-up assessment will be 
conducted in early 2005. 
 
3. In an address to open the training, the Commissioner of 
CEPS, Brigadier-General Richardson E. Baiden said, "As a 
service determined to create a new corporate image for 
itself, we are determined to prevent and control corruption 
in our midst by the implementation of a range of appropriate 
monitoring and control mechanisms such as internal check 
programs, internal and external auditing, and investigation 
and prosecution regimes." Noting that the Ghanaian government 
has committed itself to a "zero tolerance policy on 
corruption", Baiden promised to follow through with the 
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to secure office 
space outside the main CEPS headquarters, which could enable 
the internal affairs unit to operate more efficiently and 
judiciously. 
 
4. The participation of the Customs representative from Paris 
enabled CEPS officers to learn more about the Customs Mutual 
Assistance Agreement (CMAA), a bilateral agreement between 
the USG and GOG signed in December 2003 that is intended to 
assist both countries in the prevention and investigation of 
customs offenses. Although the CMAA had been in effect for 
nearly nine months at the time of the training, virtually 
none of the CEPS training participants were aware that it 
existed. By the end of the training, the officers were better 
informed about the nature of the CMAA and how they could 
incorporate it into their investigations. 
 
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BICYCLES FOR COMMUNITY POLICING 
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5. On August 28, the US Embassy donated forty patrol bicycles 
to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to support its ongoing 
community policing program. This program, established with 
the assistance of ICITAP in 2002, has so far only operated in 
one district in Accra. With the addition of forty bicycles to 
its existing stock, the GPS plans to expand the community 
policing program to the capital of the Ashanti region, 
Kumasi. At the ceremony to hand over the bicycles, the Chief 
Director for the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Edwin Barnes, 
thanked the USG for its ongoing support of this program and 
encouraged the police officers to use the bicycles to 
strengthen community policing in Ghana. A representative of 
the GPS and Embassy's PolOff also made remarks to acknowledge 
the donation. 
 
6. The handover received widespread local news coverage, as 
well as requests from both the GPS and the Ministry of 
Interior for further assistance to the police. The GPS 
reportedly plans to train the Kumasi police on the bicycles 
by the end of September. The extensive press coverage of the 
bike handover has reinforced to the public our partnership in 
improving law enforcement. These INL programs should help 
reinforce the anti-corruption message and capabilities in 
Ghana, and enhance efforts at community policing. 
LANIER