The Chairman of the 7-member ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Samuel Atta Akyea, has announced that Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the IGP is scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday, September 12.
In a recent development, Mr. Atta Akyea also revealed that three senior Police officers, namely COP Alex Mensah, Superintendent George Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, who have already testified before the committee, are expected to return accompanied by their legal representatives on the same day.
Addressing reporters, Chairman Atta Akyea emphasized the significance of uncovering the evidential support for the serious allegations made in public regarding the alleged plot to remove the IGP.
He stated, “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,” underscoring the committee’s commitment to a thorough and careful examination of the matter.
However, the ongoing proceedings have not been without criticism. Franklin Cudjoe, the President of the policy think tank IMANI Africa, expressed his concerns regarding the committee’s approach. During a recent interview, Mr. Cudjoe questioned the continuation of the committee’s work, particularly when the witnesses had already admitted to their voices being on the controversial tape.
“What is happening initially, obviously I thought was a waste of everybody’s time because the three men involved have confessed to having their voices and then to some of the things that were attributed to them, they said yes. For me, the committee’s work ended there,” he commented.
Mr. Cudjoe further questioned why the committee was allowing witnesses, especially the police officers, to engage in what he described as “storytelling,” suggesting that this approach was leading to a reassessment of the Ghana Police Service’s mandate.