Sixty-five officers at the Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit(MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service have been transfered outside Accra. Out of the 65 police personnel only 22 have so far been assigned to stations. Police sources say that with such a mass transfer, the metropolis has lost almost all the experienced personnel, especially in the management of traffic in the capital, who would have trained the new ones yet to replace them. The source said the situation was likely to create serious problems in the metropolis especially during the Christmas festivities when accidents were normally on the ascendancy. The Accident and Investigation Unit for instance have all their officers transferred out of the station, thereby raising the question of who will guide new officers since experience is very important when dealing with problems of the service. A source close to some of the police officers noted that one fundamental problem with the transfers was that, this is the middle of the school term, so the parents who had their children in school would find it difficult to find schools for them at their new stations. The source said that although the officers were not very worried about the transfers since it was normal they found the time and the circumstance very disturbing. The source also expressed the worry that with the Ghana 2008 approaching, transferring such a large number of skilled policemen who were used to traffic control in the capital was not the best Happening a few days after a worker of the Rana Motors, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Odaymat, appeared in court for allegedly assaulting two police officers of the unit, some of the affected officers have linked the move to the Rana Motors incident. Those affected include the investigator in the assault case, Inspector Francis Adaboo, who refused to comment on the issue, and other potential witnesses in the case. Mr Odaymat, was charged with obstructing a police officer on duty, causing unlawful harm, resisting arrest and causing unlawful damage to property, while his driver, Daniel Kwasi Boateng, was also charged with failing to comply with traffic regulations, causing danger to road users, dangerous driving, driving without a driver's licence and resisting arrest. The Daily Graphic on October 2, 2007 reported that two officers of the Central MTTU, Corporal Thomas Ackah and Lance Corporal Elorm Kpodo had received bites and beatings from a worker of the Rana Motors, Mr Odaymat. It said the two were head-butted and bitten when one of them, Cpl Ackah attempted to caution the driver of Mr Odaymat, for dangerous driving. At the time of his arrest, Mr Odaymat allegedly claimed that the police had bought car tyres from him and had not paid. He allegedly threatened to deal with the police and vowed to show them that he wielded power more than they did although he was an expatriate. After failing to appear in court when a writ of summons had been served him, Mr Odaymat, appeared in court on October 29, 2007, and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 (¢50m) by the court to appear again on November 16, this year. When the Daily Graphic contacted the Central Command of the MTIU, for a reaction to the transfers, it was told that the senior officers were in a meeting. However, information available to the paper indicate that adequate replacements have not yet been made. Source: Daily Graphic