By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Sept 1, GNA – Commissioner of Police George Alex Mensah, who was cited in a leaked tape allegedly plotting to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Friday alleged that the IGP is mismanaging the Police Service and hurting the moral of officers.
He said he had on several occasions informed the IGP about happenings in the Service and what could be done to streamline issues, but his suggestions were completely ignored.
“The IGP has stopped everyone from speaking, including the Public Affairs Directorate. I can tell you that for the 31 years that I have been in the Police Service, this IGP is the worst,” he alleged.
COP Mensah said this when he appeared before Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan committee probing the secret recording to continue with his interrogation.
On Thursday, COP Mensah, a former Director General in charge of Technical, alleged that Dr Dampare was mismanaging the Ghana Police Service and his leadership had led to a decline in morale among many officers.
“Dampare is not managing the Police Service well and the majority of police officers are not happy. You can call the police officers underground and they will tell you,” he said.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the Chairman of the Committee, however cautioned that care must be taken in order not to turn the hearing into a prosecution of the Ghana Police Service, especially the IGP, who was not present to defend himself.
Meanwhile, COP Mensah during the public hearing conceded to being a sympathiser of the New Patriotic Party when he corroborated some comments in the leaked tape.
He said he told Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, and the first witness, that the IGP must be removed to ensure that the NPP won the 2024 elections.
Mr Naabu also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the Mamprugu Kingdom of the North East Region, on Monday, August 28, during the committee’s public hearing, cited three police officers as engaging in the plot to oust the IGP.
They are Commissioner of Police, George Alex Mensah, Superintendent George L. Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, an audio recording, allegedly involving a police commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove IGP Dr Dampareahead of the 2024 elections leaked.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, therefore constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee on July 25 to probe the secret recording.
The Committee, which has up to September 10 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.
It is chaired by Mr Atta Akyea, a 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.
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 are the members.
Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Speaker Bagbin to assist the committee.
GNA