Three senior policemen, COP Alex Mensah, Superintendent George Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, have been detained by the Police Service in a conclusive decision.
The action is in response to a leaked audio recording that has been making the rounds and purportedly contains conversations pertaining to the ouster of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
According to the leaked tape, which has been widely disseminated on social media and other platforms, the three senior police officers are heard discussing plans and strategies with the former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bugri Naabu, regarding their possible elimination of the current IGP.
According to a memo released by the police on Thursday, “The Police Service has interdicted Commissioner Mr. George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Mr. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, and Superintendent Mr. George Lysander Asare for their ties with the audio tape that has become the focus of Parliament’s investigation.
“The interdiction is to clear the way for disciplinary actions regarding their behavior in accordance with Police Service regulations.”
In his testimony before the parliamentary committee, COP Mensah charged Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the IGP, with poor leadership of the Police Service.
He asserted that the morale of police officers had decreased as a result of the IGP’s leadership.
COP Mensah also acknowledged his involvement in politics and his efforts on behalf of a political party, though he declined to say which one.
He may be heard saying that the IGP must be fired in order to guarantee the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will win the 2024 elections in the leaked recording, which is consistent with his remarks.
COP Mensah, on the other hand, vehemently denied the tape’s veracity, asserting that it had been manipulated and did not adequately capture the initial conversation with Daniel Bugri Naabu.
When the IGP came before the committee, Supt Asare charged him with planning the audio recording and pointed out that some of the tape had been altered.
But on Monday, a new tape surfaced, and the inquiry into the audio leak changed course.
After COP George Mensah and Supt. George Asare testified that some of the original recording in evidence was altered, this information came to light.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee probing the incident, Samuel Atta Akyea, disclosed this information to the media after Monday’s proceedings.
He said that based on the facts presented, the committee would decide whether or not to convene an in-camera session.
The committee would listen to the recording and read the transcript to decide what to do next, the chairman continued.
He further stated that they might invite all parties to the case to attend a hearing with their attorneys so that witnesses might be cross-examined and cross-fired.
The committee may arrange an in-camera hearing for delicate issues, but it will also be mindful of any ramifications for national security.
“We have the benefit of a 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. First of all, 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 that not everything should be fed to the public.”
While the committee considers its options, the meeting has been postponed indefinitely. The discovery of a brand-new tape has given the investigation a unique turn.
There are consequences for national security, thus the public is anxiously awaiting the result.
