By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Chairman of the Parliament’s ad-hoc committee probing the leaked tape involving some police personnel allegedly plotting to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Samuel Atta Akyea, has disclosed that the Committee has invited Ghana’s IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, to appear before it on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.
According to Mr. Atta Akyea, the essence of the invitation is to grant the IGP an opportunity for his side of the story to be heard by the Committee as grave allegations are being levelled against him.
The Chairman made the invitation known to the public when, speaking in an interview with the host of “The Probe,” a current affairs show on JoyNews, said, “On Tuesday, all the individuals (Chief Daniel Bugri Naabu, Supt. George L. Asare, (COP) George Alex Mensah, and Supt. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi) … will come back with their lawyers.
Also, the most prominent person whose name has been bandied about, the IGP himself, should also come with his lawyers.”
He emphasised that the IGP’s hearing would be done in-camera, explaining that there were issues in the hearing that needed to be prevented from coming out in public to protect national security.
“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,” he added.
Furthermore, the Chairman of the Committee clarified that the forum was not being held with the intention of appointing an IGP, nor did the Committee have a malicious intention to ruin his reputation.
Rather, he reiterated that the Committee will not allow “the IGP to be disgraced and insulted without giving him a hearing”.
Mr. Akyea also emphasised that allowing the IGP an opportunity to clear his name is the democratic way to address the issue at hand.
Addressing the question of the duration after which the hearing will be allowed to be made public, the Chairman answered, “Well, maybe let’s give ourselves about three hours of a shut out.”
He added, “I think when it’s necessary for the public to come into the space, why not? But when it is frightening that what is ongoing is not good for national security, then we have to shut the public out.”
The Chairman stated he was confident the IGP would not turn down the invitation extended to him by the Committee.
“I don’t believe it will come there; that the IGP will say that ‘I am not going to come to Parliament’ when he has a whole opportunity to hallow his name.”