Accra-Ghana, Sept. 2, GNA – Mr Alex George Mensah, a Commissioner of Police and a witness in the ongoing probe of an alleged secret recording plot to remove Dr George Akuffo Dampare, IGP from office, says he regretted his secret conversation with Mr Daniel Bugri Naanu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
When asked during a public hearing if the Commissioner of Police (COP) Mensah had any regrets following the leaked audio, he responded in the affirmative.
He said: “Honestly, yes, because I thought I was speaking to a well-respected confidential friend. I didn’t know that I was just speaking to such a person who would record our conversation,” he told Parliament’s bi-partisan Committee on Friday.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, a leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dampare from office came into public.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to probe 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.
Mr Naabu also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region in the Mamprugu Kingdom during his appearance at the public hearing by the Committee cited three Police officers as engaging in the 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 ones he engaged in the conversation with at his office in Osu.
Meanwhile, COP Mensah, also a former Director General in charge of Technical, Ghana Police Service, in his Thursday, August 31 and Friday, September 1, 2023 appearances before the Committee denied the authenticity of the audio.
He alleged that IGP Dampare leaked the tape and as such had the original copy.
The committee is 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.
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.
