Director-General of Operations for the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah says his discussion with former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, which has been captured in the leaked tape, was at the behest of the latter.
According to him, Bugri Naabu had told some of his junior colleagues that the current Inspector General of Police has not lived up to expectations and that the government was looking for someone, who has what it takes to do the job, to replace him.
One of his colleagues, he added, then recommended him (COP Alex Mensah) for the position and Bugri Naabu asked that he be invited to meet him.
He said it was on the back of that invitation that he went to meet the former NPP Regional Chairman at his office, the discussion of which was secretly recorded.
“The purpose of Mr. Bugri Naabu inviting me was that one of my boys, the police officers had gone to tell him that if they are looking for a new Inspector General of Police then the man that he thinks can do the job and do it well is COP Alex Mensah and Bugri Naabu said ‘oh, is that so? Then bring him and let me see him’. That is why I ended up at Bugri Naabu’s office”.
COP Alex Mensah said this, today, when he appeared before the ad hoc committee tasked to probe the alleged plot to remove Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare captured in a leaked tape.
Mr. Alex Mensah made his first appearance before the committee yesterday and was interrogated on comments he purportedly made in the audio.
He admitted that the voice was his but insisted that it was doctored.
Reiterating his claim during his appearance today, the senior police officer stated that Bugri Naabu had made a lot of remarks against Dr. Dampare, which have been omitted from the tape in circulation.
“That’s why I said the audio was edited. Because he (Bugri Naabu) said so many things about this IGP and what he has done and what he is not doing and the promise that he gave him that he has not fulfilled and the fact that the likelihood of him (IGP) being changed is 100 percent and they are scouting for someone, who can do the work well”.
COP Alex Mensah was captured in a leaked tape allegedly plotting with two other police officers and a former Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bugri Naabu to oust the IGP.
The content of the leaked tape generated wide public concerns with many calling for a probe into the matter.
Parliament, subsequently, set up an ad hoc committee chaired by MP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta-Akyea to investigate the issue.
Bugri Naabu, who was the first to appear before the committee, confirmed the authenticity of the tape, stating that he had recorded it to protect the interest of his party.
He also named COP Alex Mensah and two other officers as the personnel who were captured in the tape conversing with him about plans to remove Dr. Akuffo-Dampare.
