Franklin Cudjoe wades into IGP leaked tape saga

President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, says the work of the seven-member ad hoc committee established to investigate the leaked tape containing alleged plans by the government to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, from office in an attempt to manipulate the upcoming 2024 general elections should have ended when the witnesses confessed to having their voices on the tape.

In an interview on The Big Issue on Citi TV in Accra on Saturday, Mr. Cudjoe said, “What is happening initially, obviously I thought was a waste of everybody’s time because the three men involved have confessed to having their voices and then to some of the things that were attributed to them, they said yes. For me, the committee’s work ended there.”

He questioned why the committee was therefore encouraging some form of “storytelling” from the witnesses, particularly the police officers, which was gradually leading to a review of the Ghana Police Service’s mandate.

“I don’t know why the committee chairman is entertaining storytelling and then we all of a sudden we are into some circles of comedy of errors,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, has confirmed the veracity of the contentious leaked tape which purportedly captured a plot to remove the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, from his position.

Bugri Naabu made the confirmation when he appeared before the Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee which was convened to delve into the alleged plot against the IGP on Monday, August 28, 2023.

In a candid admission, Bugri Naabu confirmed that the crucial conversation, which sparked controversy, did indeed transpire between himself and three other high-ranking police officers.

He further identified the three police officers as Commander Asare, COP Mensah, and Superintendent Gyebi.

COP George Alex Mensah, another of the implicated police officers captured in a leaked tape plotting the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has however strongly refuted the authenticity of the tape.

COP Mensah claims that the tape has been doctored and does not accurately reflect the content of the original conversation with former NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu.

During his appearance before the committee assigned to investigate the leaked tape on August 31, 2023, COP Mensah expressed his inability to verify several details on the tape.

He also firmly stated that there was no plan to remove the IGP, emphasizing that the tape circulating has been heavily edited.