IGP Faces ‘Kokonsa’ Tape Committee Today
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, will later this morning appear before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the leaked audio recording of a plot to oust him.
It follows an invitation extended to the top police chief last week, by the committee, chaired by the Abuakwa South legislator, Samuel Atta Akyea, following a series of allegations levelled against him.
“Also, the most prominent person, whose name has been bandied about, the IGP himself, should also come with his lawyers,” Mr. Atta Akyea has said.
All three senior police officers, namely COP George Alex Mensah, who is the outgoing Director-General for Operations; Superintendent George Lysander Asare and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, who have all, already, appeared before the committee, are expected back with their lawyers today for an in-camera hearing.
The Anchor gathered that the decision to invite them again became necessary after a new video tape emerged last week, implicating Dr.Dampare.
“Some serious allegations have been made in public, but the substance of the allegations has not been made in public. That is to say, the evidential support for those allegations is what we are going to unearth, so which piece of evidence that we’ll give to the public that will not hurt national security, we’ll exercise that discretion,” Atta Akyea told Joy News.
The embattled IGP is accused of smuggling the name of the former Northern Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, on the police payroll and also giving him juicy contracts.
Again, speaking to TV3 last Sunday, September 10, the Abuakwa South Member of Parliament (MP) confirmed the appearance of Dr. Dampare and the three others.
“We’re calling all the witnesses, who have come before us.
“Chief [Daniel] Bugri Naabu, Superintendent [George Lysander] Asare, Commissioner [George Alex] Mensah and, then, we also want to bring along the Inspector General of Police,” he said.
Owing to the sensitive nature of the allegations, the meeting with the seven-member committee, is expected to be held in-camera to ensure certain vital and security implicated issues are not put in the open.
“It’s going to be in-camera because we are now delving deep into the evidence and some of the evidence might have National Security implications.
“Most of the things we are going to do now will be in-camera, unless it is obvious that it has no National Security implications and therefore it could be aired,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Atta Akyea has descended heavily on the Ghana Police Service for its earlier decision to interdict the aforementioned officers, following their evidence in witness before the committee about two weeks ago.
Shockingly, the service, after taking the decision to interdict the officers, made a sudden U-turn barely less than 24-hours. The statement rescinding the decision to withdraw the interdiction was met with a mixed reaction.
Speaking in a telephone interview with TV3, Samuel Atta Akyea said the decision was tantamount to evidence-gagging.
“I am very glad that the [Ghana] Police Service realized that what they attempted to put out that people who are testifying in a Parliamentary inquiry should be interdicted.
“It was unfortunate because at the end of the day, somebody might even say that it’s tantamount to evidence gagging and intimidating and blackmailing witnesses so if they thought it wise that they should suspend the interdiction to abide [by] the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry, it’s all the wisdom of the moment.
“It is good for everybody,” he said.
“The interdiction is to make way for disciplinary proceedings into their conduct in line with Police Service regulations,” the initial statement from the police service said.
But its overriding statement read: “In order not to prejudice the ongoing probe, the Police Administration has suspended their interdiction.
It, however, noted that they will “commence disciplinary proceedings into their conduct upon completion.”
Source: Anchorghana.com
