The Ghana Police Service has interdicted three senior officers due to their involvement in a contentious audio recording, now under parliamentary scrutiny. The audio contains a discussion about why the Inspector General of Police. Dr George Akuffo Dampare should be removed from office.
The three officers, namely Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr. George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Mr. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, and Superintendent Mr. George Lysander Asare, have been placed on interdiction while further disciplinary procedures are pursued in compliance with Police Service regulation, a statement dated September 7, 2023, signed and issued by the Director of Police Public Affairs, ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi said.
Testimonies given by Commissioner of Police (COP) Alex Mensah and Superintendent Asare, who have already appeared before the Parliamentary Committee, assert that the tape being examined by the committee has been allegedly “doctored, cut and paste”. Both officers have independently urged the committee to procure the original tape from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare.
The trio of senior police officers found themselves implicated in a leaked audio recording, brought to light by former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Daniel Bugri Naabu. Mr. Naabu, a key witness before the Ad-Hoc Parliamentary Committee tasked with probing an alleged conspiracy against Ghana’s IGP, confirmed the authenticity of the contentious audio recording. This recording purportedly captures discussions regarding a scheme to replace IGP Akuffo Dampare prior to the 2024 elections.
The leaked audio, allegedly featuring a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing the plot, prompted the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, to establish the Committee.
Comprising seven members representing both the Majority and Minority factions of Parliament, as well as a technical expert, the Committee’s remit is to investigate the covert recording and its potential ramifications concerning the reported plot against IGP Dampare.
The Committee is slated to present its findings by September 10, 2023.
Content by: Kweku Zurek
