By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Sept 4, GNA – Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee probing the alleged plot to remove from office the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, says the Committee could invite Dr Dampare to respond to certain questions and concerns raised by the witnesses.
Addresing the media in Parliament, Mr Atta Akyea explained that the possible invitation of the IGP was to enable the developing and stretching out evidence.
“This is because of the fact that what we should place before the plenary should not be shoddy and one-sided,” he said.
“If the presence of the individual will give the relevance to the fact-finding exercise, we will do that.”
Mr Atta Akyea, however, did not give the date the committee would invite the IGP.
He told the media that if it became imperative that the Committee opted for an in-camera hearing to obtain security-sensitive information from Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, a witness, that would be done.
“…We will because the man has a lot to say, but it would be improper to say so on air,” he said.
Appearing before the Committee for the second time on Friday, COP Mensah, a former Director-General in-charge of Technical, Ghana Police Service, alleged that the IGP was responsible for the tape recording.
According to COP Mensah, his intelligence suggested that what was used to tape his conversation with Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was done by Dr Dampare.
“He sent some people to do it, and after which he went for the tape. So, the tape, from my intelligence, is with the IGP and he caused it to be leaked,” he said.
“If this committee wants the tape, the right person is the IGP “.
This was revealed after Mr Atta Akyea had asked COP Mensah if he had the complete tape on grounds, particularly, when he kept telling the committee that the tape in its possession was not complete.
Mr Atta Akyea also asked the witness if he had the proof to back what his intelligence told him, or it was hearsay.
Responding COP Mensah said: “This is not just something I believe it to be true, but Mr Chairman, I would not want to say it here, but I can tell the committee in camera but not here.”
Mr Naabu also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom, during his public hearing, cited three police officers as engaging in the conversation.
They are COP 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 Dampare from office leaked.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tap, based on Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, on July 25, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to probe it.
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.
It is chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, an 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.
Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is the technical person asssisting the committee.
GNA