Allegations caused me severe pain – Dampare
Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police, says the wild allegations made by some colleague Police officers against him caused severe pain to his personality and his family.
COP George Mensah, one of the top police officers at the centre of the alleged plot to kick out the current Inspector General of Police, stated that the IGP orchestrated the recording of the leaked tape and has the original copy.
He said: “The allegations, which lacked evidence, negatively affected the reputation of his family and the entire police service.”
Dr Dampare said on Tuesday when he appeared before a seven-member bi-partisan Committee in Parliament to be interrogated in an ongoing probe of an alleged plot to remove him from office before the 2024 general elections.
On Friday, September 1, Mr George Alex Mensah, a Commissioner of Police, and a witness in the ongoing probe told the Committee that he believed the tape currently before the Committee was doctored.
In his response, Dr Dampare advised that, “Instead of them focusing on the matter, they came out with wild allegations, that touched my person, the police leadership that I lead, and the entirety of the police service.
“Until today I am now being told that they have some evidence. Without a shred of evidence, at the time that they were making the allegations, not a shred of evidence,” he said.
According to the IGP, the allegations had brought a lot of pain to him and his loved ones.
“Those wild allegations without a shred of evidence have brought a lot of pain to me, my family across the country and especially my wife and children. The pain also to my team, my command, and thousands of police personnel. I am innocent, focusing on my job and working with my team to keep the country safe, but I must be called here to answer unfounded claims. This is just not fair, are we killing patriotism that anybody can just wake up and make allegations?” the IGP asked.
Dr Dampare told the Committee the respect he had for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the police service, hence his decision to appear before the committee to answer the allegations levelled against him.
“I am here I have no choice, I am doing this because of the respect I have for myself, my family especially my wife and children, and for the respect, I have for institutions of the state, and more importantly the respect I have for the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the respect I have for Ghanaians. I am here to answer all your questions, on wild allegations by my brothers,” he said.
Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee is chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South with Mr James Agalga, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Builsa North as the Vice-Chairman is investigating the veracity of an alleged leaked audio plotting the removal of Mr Dampare.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, a leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove IGP Dampare from the office circulated.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament therefore constituted the seven-member bi-partisan Committee to authenticate the audio and probe into the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove Dr Dampare, IGP from office ahead of the 2024 general election on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
The Committee was, therefore, charged to report back to the House on September 10, 2023, but that had not been successful due to the ongoing investigation.
The Committee is made up of three members each from the Majority and Minority sides of Parliament, and a technical person.
Among the members are Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, NPP MP for Okaikwei Central; Madam Ophelia Mensah, NPP MP for Mfantseman; Mr Eric Opoku, NDC MP for Asunafo South and Mr Peter Lanchene Tuobu, NDC MP for Wa West as members of the Committee.
Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Mr Bagbin.
Source: GNA