Accra-Ghana, Sept 5, GNA – The seven-member bi-partisan Parliamentary committee investigating an alleged leaked tape on the plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has discovered a new recording.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the Chairman of the Committee, revealed this to the media after Monday’s proceedings.
When Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, and Superintendent George L. Asare, appeared before the committee for interrogation, they alleged that portions of the tape in possession of the committee had been doctored.
Addressing the media in Parliament, Mr Atta Akyea, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, said the committee would be guided by the evidence and decide whether to hold an in-camera hearing or not.
“…We have the benefit of a new tape, on the assumption that it’s authentic. Members of the committee will have to listen to the tape and read the transcript, which will give us ideas on what to do next,” he said.
“First, do we bring all the stakeholders together with their lawyers for cross-examination and cross-firing to take place while listening attentively? And then, after they have finished, will we have our turn?”
“And then, are there matters, which should not come into the public domain because of national security implications? So, we will hold a long in-house or in-camera hearing, and then we will make some sense of it.”
“ This is how we are going to proceed. We will be guided strongly by the fact that this is not a simple exercise and not everything should be fed to the public,” he said.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Ghanaians woke up to a leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a police commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove IGP Dampare from office ahead of the 2024 elections.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, on July 25, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan committee to probe the secret recording to determine its authenticity.
The Committee has up to September 10, 2023, to report back to Parliament. It has three members each from the Majority and Minority sides, and a technical person, chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, an NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South.
Mr James Agalga, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Builsa North is the Vice-Chairman, with Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, the NPP MP for Okaikoi 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.
Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is the technical person assisting the committee.
Mr Naabu, the Paramount Chief of Namong in the Mamprugu Kingdom of the North East Region, on Monday, August 28, appeared before the committee and cited three police officers as engaging in the plot conversation.
They are Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, Supt George L. Asare, and Supt Emmanuel Eric Gyebi.
Mr Naabu said the trio and himself engaged in the conversation at his office at Osu in Accra, during which he (Naabu) secretly recorded the conversation.
