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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 7 September 2023

Source: BBC

Ghana police interdict three senior officers over leaked tape wey dey plot removal of di IGP

IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare

Ghana police don ban three police officers for dia role for one leaked audio tape wia dem dey plot to remove di Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

Di three of dem na, COP George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi and Superintendent George Asare.

Di police tok for statement say “di interdiction go make way for disciplinary proceedings into dia conduct.”

One police wireless gist dey explain give one of di officers, COP Mensah say “make e hand over weapon, uniform den oda police accoutrements give di logistics department.”

E also add say COP Mensah for hand over im command vehicle give di transport department.

One audio tape wey be like forty five minutes bin go viral for July.

Di audio get one big man for di ruling party - im be former northern region chairman of di party wit oda police officers wia dem allegedly dey plot say dem for remove di IGP.

Di party man, Bugri Naabu den di three police officers allegedly tok plenty tins about di IGP den how im no dey lead di police service well.

Bugri Naabu ask one of di officers, superintendent Asare say who e tink say go fit be IGP sake of di current one no go help dia party win 2024 election.

Na so e suggest three names, one of dem be COP Alex Mensah.

For di tape, COP Mensah allegedly tok say di IGP be di worst for Ghana wey until di party get anoda pesin, dem for forget about winning di elections.

Oda conversations go on for di tape inside - as di former NPP chairman tok say im go forward COP Mensah im CV go di office of di president make dem consider am for IGP.

Afta di tape leak, plenty pipo don tok say di officers no try.

Parliamentary committee dey investigate

Speaker of Ghana parliament Alban Bagbin set up seven-member special committee say make dem probe di tape.

Di committee get three members from di majority den minority sides wit one technical expert wey go support dia work.

On 28 August, di committee invite di first witness, Bugri Naabu wey dem hear im testimony.

E comfam say na im record di audio sake of im want evidence to show to di president say na so dis police officers dey plot against di IGP.

Bugri also tok di committee say superintendent Asare be di architect behind di plot to remove di IGP.

Im add say COP Mensah be di candidate dem dey suggest for di role of IGP wey superintendent Gyebi be di one wey for escort am go meet di president over di mata.

Meanwhile, di three senior police officers don dey appear before di committee for di public hearing.

COP Mensah tok di committee say even though im voice dey di inside di tape, some part of it be edited.

Na so di committee give am time make e check di audio den di transcript den identify di parts wey be edited.

COP Mensah confam say dem do discussions about di administration of di IGP but e bi private conversation, im no know say Bugri Naabu dey record am.

But e no deny say e tok say di IGP be worst IGP for Ghana history.

In fact, im tok am again for di public hearing say “if di committee ask police officers about di IGP den im administration, everybody go tok say e no dey do well.”

One committee member wey be retired police officer, Peter Toobu don ask COP Mensah if e use di appropriate channels take complain about di tins wey dey happun for service, na im say no.

Sometimes wen di committee members ask am question, im go tok say e no remember say e tok am, or e tok am but dem edit some.

Di committee say dem go continue some of di hearing behind close doors, sake of dem be sensitive.

Di oda officer, superintendent Asare also appear before di committee wia im tok say Bugri Naabu don forge stories against am.

Supo Asare tok di committee say di NPP member tell am say di goment dey look for anoda IGP, so make im suggest who go fit replace di current IGP.

Na so im mention three pipo including COP Mensah.

Supo Asare explain say Bugri Naabi “tok plenty lies as im appear before di committee.”

“I get more gist I go tok di committee in-camera about dis mata wia go show say di IGP mastermind di recording of di tape,” Asare add.

Di oda officer, superintendent Emmanuel Gyebi don tok di committee wen e appear say im never be part of di plot to remove di IGP.

“I never know Bugri Naabu serf wia me den am plan anything,” Supo Gyebi add.

As im appear before di committee, e tok say tins Bugri Naabu tok about am “be palpable lies” sake of im voice serf no dey inside di audio recording.

Di committee chairman, Atta Akyea tok journalists after one of dia sittings say dem get anoda tape wey be longer dan di 45 mins one.

Di special parliamentary committee wey dey hear di matter get simple task.

According to di speaker of parliament, im want make di committee determine di authenticity of di leaked tape.

Im also want make dem investigate “di conspiracy to remove di IGP den any oda matter wey dey inside di audio tape.”

Afta, dem for “recommend sanctions give pesin wey dem go find culpable den also recommend reforms for di police service.”

Who be di officers ?

COP George Alex Mensah be senior police officer wey dey di service for thirty one years.

Before di leak tape wahala, na im be director general in charge of operations for di service.

Im also serve plenty oda portfolios including greater Accra regional commander of di police in 2018.

COP Mensah also be commander for Eastern den Ashanti regions before.

Na so e tell di committee serf say, “im dey lobby say e go be IGP since 2017 wen di NPP come goment.”

Di lawyer den chartered accountant also tok di committee say e no give up for di dream say e go be IGP for Ghana.

Superintendent George Asare be protocol officer for di police headquarters for Accra.

Im also be East Legon district police commander in 2019 afta e chop commander position for Mamprobi district in 2018.

Supo dey di police service more dan twenty five years now.

Di oda officer Superintendent Emmanuel Gyebi be director for di cyber crime unit for di service.

Im also be in charge of di child protection den digital forensic laboratory for di police service.