None of the issues raised at the committee hearing warrant an in-camera investigation – Kwesi Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, has questioned the decision of the ad-hoc committee investigating the leaked tape on the IGP to hold some of its sessions in-camera.

Speaking on Good Morning Ghana, he said that none of the claims made by the police officers warrant an in-camera hearing.

This comes after the committee, on September 18, 2023, held its first in-camera hearing with the witnesses and the IGP.

The chairman, Samuel Atta Akyea, argued the committee will move in-camera any time the testimonies being given by witnesses touches on national securities.

Kwesi Pratt said there is no need for the proceedings to be held behind closed doors, arguing that the matters discussed at the committee sitting are not of a sensitive nature requiring in-camera sessions.

“This sitting in-camera, what is it about? All the issues which have been raised before the committee, there is none of them which warrants an in-camera sitting, none of them what-so-ever.

He further emphasised that the desire by some of the witnesses to testify in-camera does not justify such secrecy in the probing process.

“In fact, some of the witnesses that have appeared the committee who said that they wanted to say certain things in-camera, I am not sure whether those in-camera sitting. But in any case, what ae they about. Is it about the promotions in the police service. The issues which have been raised now, none of them warrants an in-camera sitting,” he added.

He raised concerns that conducting the proceedings in-camera might give rise to unnecessary speculation which he believes can be prevented if everything is brought to the public hearing.

“The problem with in-camera sitting in this particular instance is that it can lead to all manner of needless speculations. Allegations have been made against the IGP in public. Yesterday, he was told he was being given the opportunity to clear his name. How does he clear his name in secret when the allegations were made against him in public,” he argued.

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NW/DAG

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