The Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, will appear on Tuesday September 12 before the parliamentary committee investigating the leak of Bugri Naabu’s tape recording a conversation on why he should dismissed.
The chairman of the committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, who made this known in a media interview said it was to grant the IGP an opportunity for his side of the story to be heard.
“On Tuesday, all the individuals – Chief Daniel Bugri Naabu, Superintendent Mr George L. Asare, COP Mr George Alex Mensah and Superintendent Mr 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 said.
The purpose of this invitation is to give the IGP an opportunity to present his side of the story as serious allegations have been leveled against him including staging the recording and the subsequent leakage.
Chairman Atta Akyea has stressed that the hearing will be held in-camera to prevent sensitive information that could jeopardize national security from being made public.
He explained, “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.”
The chairman also clarified that the committee has no intention of appointing a new IGP or tarnishing the reputation of the current IGP.
He reiterated that the main objective is to ensure that the IGP is given a fair hearing and the opportunity to clear his name.
When asked about the timing of when the hearing will be made public, Chairman Atta Akyea suggested a delay of approximately three hours.
He stated, “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.”
