How do I report a police officer for bribery or harassment in Ghana?

Section 23(1) of the Police Service Act entitles any member of the public to make a written, signed complaint about:

• Any bribery, corruption, oppression or intimidation by a police officer.
• Any neglect or non-performance of duty by a police officer.
• Any other misconduct by a police officer.

This right does not take away any other legal remedy you have (section 23(1)). The superior officer who receives the complaint must have it fully and impartially investigated, send you a report of the conclusions, and take whatever action the report calls for (section 23(4)). Knowingly making a false or malicious complaint is an offence (section 23(5)).

Under the Criminal Offences Act, as amended by the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2020, a public officer must not commit corruption, wilful oppression or extortion in the duties of office, and no one may corrupt a public officer. Each is punishable by imprisonment of not less than twelve and not more than twenty-five years (section 239). Giving or offering a public officer anything of value for a benefit is punishable in the same way (section 252).

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) investigates complaints of violations of fundamental rights, injustice, corruption, abuse of power and unfair treatment by a public officer in the exercise of official duties (CHRAJ Act, section 7(1)(a)). The Commission bears the costs of its investigations (section 7(2)).

• Write down the officer's name or number, the station, the date, time and place, what happened and the names of any witnesses.
• For bribery, corruption, oppression or intimidation, address your signed complaint to the superior police officer in charge of the district or unit the officer belongs to, or to the Inspector-General of Police (Police Service Act, section 23(2)).
• For neglect of duty or other misconduct, address it to any superior police officer (section 23(3)).
• You can also complain to CHRAJ, in writing or in person, at its national office or to its representative at a regional or district branch. If you complain in person, the officer will write it down for you to sign or thumbprint (CHRAJ Act, section 12(1) to (3)). A letter to CHRAJ from a person in custody must be forwarded unopened (section 12(4)).

CHRAJ may refuse to investigate a complaint about something you have known about for more than twelve months before it receives the complaint (CHRAJ Act, section 13(2)(a)).