By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Aug 29, GNA – The Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom, Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, says he hired someone to secretly record the conversation of an alleged plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police (IGP).
“I didn’t do it myself, but I requested somebody who knows how to do the recording to come and do it for me and I paid. I didn’t use a phone I went to the mall and got this ordinary tape,” he said.
Mr Naabu, also the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), made the statement on Monday when he appeared for a public hearing by Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee probing the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove the IGP from office ahead of the 2024 General Elections.
Mr Naabu, also the first witness mentioned “one Commander Asare, based at Police Depot, Commissioner of Police, Mensah, currently on leave before his retirement and Gyebi, a Police Superintendent based at the Police Headquarters whom he had never met before but spoke with on the phone as the other three” he engaged in the conversation with at his office in Osu.
He told the Committee the two senior officers approached him with an agenda to advocate for the removal of the IGP adding, “The reason behind this request, as conveyed by the officers, was that Dr Akuffo-Damapre’s actions were perceived to align more closely with the interests of the opposition NDC, thereby, potentially undermining the ruling party’s chances in the upcoming 2024 elections.”
According to him, the request by the top officers scared him, hence his decision to record them to make it difficult for any denial.
He told the Committee that he recorded the conversation with the three high-ranking Police officers because of how crucial the issues being discussed were and to have evidence to present to the President.
He also indicated that a copy of the leaked tape was presented to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, however, he did not know who leaked it to the press.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to probe into a secret recording of an alleged plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police (IGP) from office ahead of the 2024 general election.
The Committee, which has up to September 10, 2023, to report back to the House is made up of three members each from the Majority and Minority sides of Parliament, and a technical person.
The committee is chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South with Mr James Agalga, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Builsa North as the Vice-Chairman.
It has Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, NPP MP for Okaikwei Central; Madam Ophelia Mensah, NPP MP for Mfantseman; Mr Eric Opoku, NDC MP for Asunafo South and Mr Peter Lanchene Tuobu, NDC MP for Wa West as members of the Committee.
While Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Mr Bagbin.
GNA