By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Sept 12, GNA – Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police says he was not with Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party to do a secret recording.
He said: “I do not have any involvement in plotting a secret recording with the former NPP Northern Regional Chairman, the IGP said”
Testifying on Tuesday, before Parliament’s bi-partisan seven-member Committee currently probing an alleged leaked tape Dr Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) denied the allegations that he was part of a conspiracy to secretly record conversations of the three implicated police officers.
Mr George Alex Mensah, Commissioner of Police (COP); Mr George L. Asare, Superintendent of Police, Mr Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, Superintendent of Police and Mr Bugri Naabu, also a Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom are witnesses in the ongoing leaked tape following their voices on the tape.
Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee chaired by Mr Samuel 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 is investigating the veracity of an alleged leaked audio plotting the removal of Mr Dampare.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, a leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove IGP Dampare from office circulated.
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 the seven-member bi-partisan Committee to authenticate the audio and probe into the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove Dr Dampare, IGP from office ahead of the 2024 general election on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
The Committee was, therefore, charged to report back to the House on September 10, 2023, but that had not been successful due to the ongoing investigation.
The Committee is made up of three members each from the Majority and Minority sides of Parliament, and a technical person.
Among the members are 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.
Dr Dampare highlighted his commitment to upholding the law and maintaining the integrity of the Ghana Police Service and expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, vowing to provide any necessary information or assistance to uncover the truth behind the leaked tape.
The IGP told the Committee that some wild allegations made against him by the three police officers had caused severe pain to him and his family.
COP Mensah told the committee when he appeared that the IGP plotted the recording of the audio with Mr Bugri Naabu, adding that his intel indicated that the IGP had the full unedited recording.
Mr Bugri Naabu has been a major figure in the leaked tape.
GNA