.
ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
Regulation
1. Registers to be kept.
2. Disposal of dangerous drugs.
3. Disposal of passports and
travel documents.
4. Disposal of perishable
property, etc.
5. Disposal of arms, explosives,
etc.
6. Disposal of jewels, precious
metals, etc.
7. Disposal of animals and birds.
8. Disposal of money.
9. Disposal of other property.
10. Notice of property to be
posted.
11. Disposal of proceeds of sales.
12. Return of property to owner.
13. Interpretation.
14. Revocations.
IN exercise of the powers
conferred on the Minister of
Internal Affairs by section 35 (3)
of the Police Service Act, 1970
(Act 350), these Regulations are
made this 14th day of September,
1971.
Regulation 1—Registers to be Kept.
(1) The police officer in charge
of every police station shall keep
at that station registers in which
shall be entered a description of
all property which has come into
the possession of the police where
the owner of the property cannot
be ascertained or no order of a
Court has been made with respect
thereto.
(2) The officer in charge of the
registers shall enter therein
particulars of the manner of
disposal of all such property,
and, where it is sold in
accordance with these Regulations,
the amount of proceeds of sale and
of the expenses deducted in
accordance with these Regulations.
Regulation 2—Disposal of Dangerous
Drugs.
(1) Where such property is
believed to be a dangerous drug,
the officer in charge of the
police station shall immediately
notify the Inspector-General of
Police and the Minister.
(2) Where the Minister has been
notified of such property, it
shall be disposed of in such
manner as the Minister may direct,
and the Minister may if he thinks
fit order that it be delivered to
the Minister responsible for
Health.
Regulation 3—Disposal of
Passports and Travel Documents.
Where such property is a passport
or similar travel document, the
officer in charge of the police
station shall immediately transfer
the property to the Principal
Secretary of the Ministry
responsible for the Police
Service.
Regulation 4—Disposal of
Perishable Property, Etc.
(1) Where such property is of a
perishable nature or its custody
involves unreasonable expense or
inconvenience and its owner cannot
after reasonable enquiry be found—
(a) it may be destroyed at any
time on the written authority of a
superior police officer if he is
satisfied that it is unsaleable;
or
(b) where it is saleable, it
shall, as soon as may be
convenient, be sold by public
auction by a superior police
officer or an auctioneer or other
person appointed by such officer
in writing for that purpose.
(2) Where property is sold in
accordance with this regulation
the proceeds of sale shall not be
disposed of under regulation 11
until they have remained in the
possession of the police for two
months.
Regulation 5—Disposal of Arms,
Explosives, Etc.
(1) Where such property is a
firearm, arms or offensive weapon
of any description or any article
similar to any of the foregoing,
it shall be sold or otherwise
disposed of in such manner as the
Minister may direct after it has
remained in the possession of the
police for two months.
(2) Where such property consists
of ammunition, explosive,
gunpowder, ammunitions of war or
any similar article, the officer
in charge of the police station
shall immediately notify the
Inspector-General of Police and
the Minister.
(3) Where the Minister has been
notified under paragraph (2) of
this regulation, the property
shall be disposed of (otherwise
than by sale) in such manner as
the Minister may direct.
Regulation 6—Disposal of Jewels,
Precious Metals, Etc.
Where such property consists of
precious stones or precious metal,
it shall be sold in such manner as
the Minister may direct after it
has remained in the possession of
the police for two months.
Regulation 7—Disposal of Animals
and Birds.
(1) Where such property consists
of live animals or birds, it shall
be sold in such manner as a
superior police officer may direct
after it has remained in the
possession of the police for seven
days.
(2) Where any person satisfies the
officer in charge of the police
station, within the aforesaid
period of seven days, that he is
the owner or otherwise entitled to
any such animals or birds, he
shall pay to the police a sum
equivalent to the expenses of
keeping them at rates not
exceeding twenty new pesewas a day
for each animal and five new
pesewas a day for each bird.
Regulation 8—Disposal of Money.
(1) Where such property consists
of Ghanaian money it shall be
retained in the possession of the
police for two months, and if it
has not been claimed at the
expiration of that period, then
(a) if the amount does not exceed
twenty new cedis, it shall be paid
into the Police Welfare Fund;
(b) if the amount exceeds twenty
new cedis, it shall be paid into
the Consolidated Fund.
(2) Where such property consists
of foreign money it shall be
retained in the possession of the
police for two months, and if it
has not been claimed at the
expiration of that period it shall
be paid into the Consolidated
Fund.
Regulation 9—Disposal of Other
Property.
In the case of property not
referred to in regulations 2 to 8,
where its owner cannot after
reasonable enquiry be found—
(a) it may be destroyed, after it
has remained in the possession of
the police for two months, on the
written authority of a superior
police officer if he is satisfied
that it is unsaleable; or
(b) where it is saleable, it
shall, after it has remained in
the possession of the police for
two months, be sold by public
auction by a superior police
officer or an auctioneer or other
person appointed by such officer
in writing for that purpose.
Regulation 10—Notice of Property
to be Posted.
(1) The officer in charge of a
police station at which property
is retained in possession of the
police shall post a notice
conspicuously outside the police
station specifying the property so
retained, and such notice shall be
kept posted prior to the disposal
of such property—
(a) for seven days, in the case of
live animals or birds;
(b) for two months, in any other
case.
(2) Where such property consists
of money, the notice shall not
specify the amount of the money.
(3) It shall not be necessary to
post a notice in respect of
property of the description
mentioned in regulation 2, 4 or 5
(2).
Regulation 11—Disposal of Proceeds
of Sales.
After deducting any expenses
incurred by the police in the
custody of the property and any
expenses incurred by its sale, the
proceeds of all sales under these
Regulations shall be paid as
follows:—
(a) seventy-five per cent into the
Consolidated Fund;
(b) twenty-five per cent into the
Police Welfare Fund.
Regulation 12—Return of Property
to Owner.
Where property or the proceeds of
the sale of property is
required to be retained in the
possession of the police for any
period under these Regulations,
the officer in charge of the
police station shall deliver the
property or proceeds of sale to
any person who satisfies him,
before the expiration of such
period, that he is the owner or
otherwise entitled to such
property or proceeds of sale.
Regulation 13—Interpretation.
In these Regulations—
"dangerous drug" has the meaning
assigned to it by the Pharmacy and
Drugs Act, 1961 (Act 64);
"Minister" means the Minister to
whom responsibility for the Police
Service is assigned by the Prime
Minister;
"money" includes coins, banknotes,
postal orders, cheques and other
valuable securities;
"superior police officer" means an
officer not below the rank of
Assistant Superintendent of
Police.
Regulation 14—Revocations.
The following statutory
instruments are hereby revoked—
Unclaimed Property Disposal
Regulations, 1941 (No. 37).
Unclaimed Property Disposal
(Amendment) Regulations, 1963 (L.I.
321).
N. Y. B. ADADE
Minister of Internal Affairs
Date of Gazette Notification: 26th
October, 1971.
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