Move-Structure Analysis of Police Written Witness Statements in Ghana: An Account of a Context-Defining Police Discourse.

This article examines the rhetorical structure and linguistic features of police written witness statements in Ghana, analyzing 120 statements from the Wenchi Division of the Bono Regional Police Command using Bhatia's genre model within the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) framework. The study identifies five key rhetorical moves—Disclaiming, Identifying the Witness, Stating Witness's Involvement with the Case, Reporting the Facts, and Indicating Discharge of Legal Responsibility—that collectively fulfill legal and professional requirements under Ghana's Evidence Act 1975 (NRCD 323). The preferred move sequence (M1^M2^M3^M4^M6) reflects a logical and chronological narrative structure essential for the admissibility and effectiveness of witness statements in Ghana's criminal justice system. Lexicogrammatical analysis reveals a predominance of complex sentences and strategic use of present and past tenses aligned with the communicative functions of each move, while active voice is favored to explicitly attribute actions to individuals. The findings underscore the importance of structured and linguistically competent witness statement writing for police officers to support accurate prosecution and adjudication in Ghanaian courts.