A former Chairman of Parliament Legal and Constitutional Affairs says one of the witnesses in the leaked tape saga to oust IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare was too emotional when he appeared before the committee.

Inusah Fuseni said COP George Alex Mensah was consumed by his partisan ego and it was clear to see during his appearance.

According to the former Tamale Central MP, COP Alex Mensah did not do himself any good going by his testimony presented before the committee.

He indicated that by the conduct and behaviour of the COP, the officer who doubles as a lawyer does not understand the mandate and dictates of the very institution he serves.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Tuesday, September 5, the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister said the appointment of an IGP is by performance and qualifications and not partisanship.

"Well for COP Alex Mensah I felt and thought his testimony was consumed by an inordinate partisan ego in the sense that police service is a bureaucracy an institution of state that be so, they have interests and values and the recruitment into the service is impersonal and depends on merit and qualification."

• Dr Akuffo Dampare is the worst IGP ever – COP Alex Mensah

"So a person will ascend to the highest of the police service based on his output and performance and for a person to think that the most overriding consideration for the appointment of an IGP should be whether or not he is a party member or whether he can assist a party to continue to stay in office is subversive, to say the least," he said.

COP George Alex Mensah, who was the third witness to appear before the committee amongst other issues expressed reservations about the IGP’s action which he says will not augur well for the service as a whole.

He said with the IGP at the helm of affairs, the Service is headed in the wrong direction.

“Honourable member and honourable chair, what I said yesterday if you give me the opportunity today, I will say it again. For me, for the 31 years I have been in the service, he is the worst IGP ever,” he said.

Background

On July 25, the Speaker of Parliament named Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta-Akyea as the chairperson of a 7-member ad-hoc committee to probe the recently leaked controversial audio in which voices are heard clandestinely plotting to oust the Inspector General of Police.

The viral audio, which revealed a supposed conspiracy by a senior police officer and a leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office, resulted in a debate on the floor of Parliament with the Minority calling for a forensic audit.

Subsequently, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin proposed the setting up of the Special Committee.

Mr. Bagbin asked the committee to submit its report by September 10, 2023.