By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Ghana’s Parliament is set to investigate an alleged plot to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, from his position ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The parliamentary inquiry follows the demand from the Minority in Parliament to probe the matter and ascertain the authenticity of a leaked audio recording that has been circulating on various social media platforms.
The alleged leaked tape captures some influential members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a senior police official discussing the potential consequences of retaining the current IGP, expressing concerns that it could impede the NPP’s plans to manipulate the upcoming elections.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, emphasized the significance of the issue in an urgent statement on the floor of the House on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, stressing its impact on both the Ghana Police Service and the stability of the country’s democracy.
He called on Parliament to investigate the leaked tape, verify its authenticity, and take appropriate action against those implicated if the recording is confirmed to be genuine.
However, the Majority members of Parliament did not support the proposed investigation. Patrick Boamah, the MP for Okaikwei Central, argued against the idea of using the IGP to manipulate elections, citing past instances where governments that controlled the police service still lost elections.
But the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, disagreed with Okaikwei Central MP’s assertion that the matter should be discarded and called for a thorough forensic audit of the leaked tape to safeguard national security and protect the professional integrity of the IGP.
The Minister of Interior, Mr. Ambrose Dery, denied the accusations of election rigging but welcomed the decision to conduct an investigation to authenticate the leaked tape and ensure the security of the state and its democratic processes.
In his ruling, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin requested that the Deputy Minority Leader submit the statement in written form to provide clearer guidance.
He acknowledged that the discussion raised more questions than answers and emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation by the appropriate committee of the House.