Private Legal Practitioner, Kwaku Paintsil says the decision to reverse the interdiction of some three senior officers by the Ghana Police Service is an embarrassment to the security agency.

This, according to Mr. Paintsil, is because the Service should not have interdicted them in the first place based on an alleged leaked recording of a plot to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), which is now the subject of a parliamentary probe.

Read also: Police suspends interdiction of 3 officers over leaked tape scandal

Speaking to JoyNews, the lawyer said the action could have been taken only after the Committee has concluded its investigations.

“Even though in my honest view, they now claim to have withdrawn the interdiction, it is giving the public an idea of what they want to do and even what I am hearing is worse, that they are talking about a disciplinary hearing.

"That is a presumption that what they have heard so far suggests or is an indication that something wrong has taken place but that is not proper because Parliament has not finished its inquiry, they have not come out with their findings and facts and recommendations or whatever it is. So where did they fall on the view that there is evidence or a case to go for disciplinary hearing and if it is so, what are they waiting for?

“So I am thinking that the way they are going about this is very embarrassing and what it means is that somebody is not advising the IGP or their legal department is not doing a good work,” he added.

Earlier, former Director General of the Police Criminal Investigations Department, Rtd COP Bright Oduro had described the interdiction as premature.

He was also of the view that no criminality has been established against the three police officers since Parliament is yet to conclude its investigation.

“I don’t know if it is the IGP or the Police Council that instructed the IGP to interdict the officers but if it is coming from the IGP then I think it is premature.

“He should have allowed this investigation to continue and then we see the outcome and if after that the officers had misconducted themselves somehow, then he would have called for a service inquiry.

“But where I sit, I don’t see any criminality in what they did, what one can say is that they misconducted themselves but even that, it must be purely after investigation,” he explained.

Backing this stance, Lawyer Paintsil said the Police Service could have conduct their own investigations before Parliament.

Read more: Interdiction of COP Alex Mensah, others surprising – Counsel

He also described the ongoing parliamentary probe as unnecessary.

"If they have reason to believe that some wrong has been done or some evidence that suggests indiscipline then they don’t even have to wait for Parliament at all because under the Police Service Act there is no requirement for them to wait for Parliament to finish its work.

"And with all due respect to Parliament, it is my view that this parliamentary hearing is an unnecessary thing that need not have been done because under the Police Service Act, the Police Council has a right and a duty to conduct this inquiry."

Background

The Ghana Police Service has suspended the interdiction of three officers, who were captured in a leaked tape allegedly plotting the removal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

In a statement dated September 7, the police indicated that the decision to suspend the interdiction, which was to make way for disciplinary proceedings in line with Police Service regulations, was to ensure it does not affect the ongoing probe by parliament.

As such, the Service noted that it would commence disciplinary proceedings into the officers’ conduct upon the completion of the parliamentary probe.

“Following the interdiction of COP/Mr George Alex Mensah, Supt/Mr Emmanuel Eric Gyebi and Supt/Mr George Lysander Asare in connection with the leaked audio tape, the Police Administration would commence disciplinary proceedings into their conduct upon completion of the ongoing probe by Parliament.”

“In order not to prejudice the ongoing probe, the Police administration has suspended their interdiction,” the statement signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Frace Ansah-Akrofi read.

The three police officers were interdicted on Thursday, September 6, after a leaked tape emerged with the content suggesting a plot to oust the IGP, according to a former NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu, who claims he recorded the conversation secretly.

The officers are Director General Technical of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Alex George Mensah, Supt. George Lysander Asare and Emmanuel Gyebi.