The Court of Appeal has directed the immediate promotion of 40 Chief Inspectors within the Ghana Police Service and ordered that all corresponding financial entitlements be paid within six months. This ruling overturns a previous High Court decision that had dismissed the officers’ case.
The officers had challenged their exclusion from a special promotion amnesty introduced under former Inspector-General of Police George Akuffo Dampare, which granted accelerated promotions to personnel who had obtained university degrees before 2020. Despite serving between 25 and 30 years, the affected officers argued they were denied admission to the Police Academy — a prerequisite for elevation to Assistant Superintendent of Police — while junior colleagues benefited from the amnesty.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Eric Baah, unanimously overturned the lower court’s ruling, describing the earlier decision as unjust. The court ordered the Ghana Police Service to promote the officers with immediate effect and to settle all outstanding entitlements within six months.
The case was first dismissed by the Kumasi High Court, which held that promotions in the Police Service are governed by established procedures and that academic qualifications alone do not guarantee advancement. Lawyer for the officers, Anne Agbetsiafa, welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory for fairness. The decision was greeted with celebrations by the affected officers at the court premises.
Source: Jonathan Ofori
