Superintendent Asare lobbied for me to be appointed new IGP – COP Mensah
Mr Alex George Mensah, a Commissioner of Police, cited the alleged secret recording plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police (IGP), says Superintendent George L. Asare lobbied for him to be appointed as the new IGP to replace Dr Dampare.
He alleged that Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Nothern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) informed Superintendent Asare that the government intended to make changes in the leadership of the Ghana Police Service due to concerns about the current IGP’s performance.
He said: “Superintendent Asare then recommended me as a suitable replacement for Dr Dampare. And following that recommendation, Bugri Naabu invited me to his office for a discussion.”
“Bugri Naabu told Asare that the IGP is likely to be changed and they are looking for a replacement, so Superintendent Asare told him that there is a boy who can do the job well. So Bugri Naabu invited me to come so we could talk,” the Commissioner of Police told Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee probing into the secret recording on Friday.
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 the 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 on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to probe into the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove Dr Dampare, IGP from office ahead of the 2024 general election.
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.
The committee 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 of the Committee.
While Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Mr Bagbin.
Mr Naabu also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom on Monday during his public hearing by the Committee cited three Police officers as engaging in the plot conversation.
Three Police officers, Commissioner of Police, George Alex Mensah, Superintendent George L. Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi were cited by Mr Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP as the trio he engaged in the conversation with at his office in Osu on Monday when he appeared before the Committee.
Source: GNA