IGP leaked tape: It’s monumental mistake to interdict COP Mensah, others - Adiib Sanni

A security expert named Adiib Sanni, has strongly criticized the decision made by the Police Management Board (POMAB) to interdict COP George Alex Mensah and two other serving officers of the Ghana Police Service in connection with their involvement in a leaked tape discussing the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

According to Sanni, this decision to interdict the police officers namely COP George Alex Mensah, Supt. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi and Supt. George Lysander Asare comes at an inopportune time, as it occurred during the ongoing proceedings of the Ad-Hoc Parliamentary Committee chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Kyea investigating the leaked tape, which allegedly involved the former Northern Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Daniel Buguri Naaba, and several serving police officers planning the ousting of the IGP.

Mr Sanni didn't hold back his criticism, stating that the appropriate action would have been for POMAB to interdict the officers immediately when the tape first surfaced on social media.

He expressed his concerns about the timing of the interdiction and the subsequent suspension of the interdiction, deeming it as "shameful."

The security expert pointed out that COP Mensah, who is on terminal leave, should not have been subjected to such treatment.

He emphasized that in the police service, a COP holds a rank equivalent to that of a general in the army.

Despite his reservations about COP Mensah's conduct during the committee's hearings, Mr Sanni believed that this was not the proper way to treat a high-ranking officer of the service.

Mr Sanni reminded POMAB that there are established rules governing police administration regarding interdictions, which are outlined in Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 176, Section 105.

He wondered why the police administration failed to live up to these provisions.

Mr Saani took issues with the way the police administration handled the matter while speaking in an interview on the mid-day news on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, September 8, 2023.

He accused POMAB of making decisions based on emotions rather than handling the matter professionally.

He further argued that instead of the police taking a diligent and methodical approach to uncovering the truth, the police seemed to be swayed by emotional factors.

Mr Sanni concluded by expressing his concern over the impact of these emotional decisions on the overall administration of the police force.