Dr George Akuffo Dampare says his rise to the position of Inspector General of Police (IGP) is based on merit and not any other considerations.
According to him, being diligent about his work, competencies, academic qualifications and hard work are what got him to the position he occupies currently saying he earned his position duly and not based on favours.
“I have not at any point in time been called aside by any individual and granted any favour,” he said.
According to him, the allegations made by COP Mensah and Superintendent Asare were deliberately made to tarnish his image and reputation.
Dr Dampare was invited before the Ad-hoc committee on Friday, September 8 following accusations that have been levelled against him by the previous witnesses, which the committee believes must be addressed.
The IGP categorically denied any involvement in plotting a secret recording with the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu.
The leaked audio recordings purportedly contain conversations involving Mr Naabu and other high-ranking police officials, over a plot to remove the IGP to help the NPP rig the 2024 polls.
They are Commissioner of Police (COP) Alex Mensah, Superintendent George Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi – and Bugri Naabu.
Nonetheless, COP Mensah strongly denied the authenticity of the tape, claiming that it had been doctored and did not accurately reflect the original conversation with Mr Naabu.
On his part, Superintendent Asare also noted that portions of the tape were doctored and accused the IGP of plotting the audio recording when he appeared before the committee.
While Superintendent Gyebi denied any knowledge of knowing Mr Bugri Naabu before the Committee, Mr Bugri Naabu cited all three police officers as his accomplices when he testified before the Committee as the first witness in the ongoing probe.
The IGP refuted allegations that he was part of a conspiracy to secretly record conversations of the three implicated police officers.
He highlighted his commitment to upholding the law and maintaining the integrity of the Ghana Police Service and expressed his willingness to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, vowing to provide any necessary information or assistance to uncover the truth behind the leaked tape.
The IGP told the Committee that some wild allegations made against him by the three police officers had caused severe pain to him and his family.
Dr Dampare emphasized his commitment to upholding the law and maintaining the integrity of the Ghana Police Service.
He rejected assertions by COP Alex Mensah that he is the worst to occupy the position.
According to him, the facts are there for anyone to see and make a judgement.
“Perhaps my brother wanted to say I’m the best IGP but missed it. The records are there for everyone to see. It is not true my administration is the worst. He missed it. It can never be true that my administration is the work.”
“Is unfounded and it is baseless. I think what the person could have done if he had nothing to say is to keep quiet,” he said.
The IGP said he is working collectively to ensure that his team becomes the best in the history of the Police Service.
He further told the committee that his administration has carefully learned from its predecessors and is determined to create a formidable service for generations to come.
Dr Dampare stated that no individual has the power to determine the outcome of elections as it was heard in the leaked tape.
He said elections constitute several stakeholders who have individual significant roles to play and hence, no entity is superior to the other or has the sole authority to determine the results of elections.
“And the election is a simple matter where each stakeholder plays its role and collectively, we end up ensuring that it is over and the people then decide who becomes the leader.”
“So no entity or institution has some supremacy in terms of its role in ensuring that elections are successful, as far as I’m concerned, all the stakeholders have to play their role and because each role is unique, you cannot even be compelled to say which one is on top and which one is not,” he explained.
The IGP added that the assumption that the strength of his personality and what he stands for could decide the aftermath of elections is just someone’s opinion and he cannot influence that.
However, he will continue to be diligent and honest with his job and professionally work as a team with his commanders.
The IGP denied running a one-man show at the Ghana Police Service.
Dr Dampare said he is not running a one-man show and that he consults with other senior police officers before making decisions.
“My Police Management Board (POMAB) members are here, unfortunately, they are not on oath so they cannot testify, we would have heard them. They call it united POMAB, and it is a chain, nobody breaks it unless you are going on retirement and then we replace you.
“This whole idea of running a one-man show is just to paint me black, so it is never true.
They went to lie thinking that we would never get the opportunity to speak to it,” he said.
The IGP denied withholding the promotions of officers who are due for promotion.
Dr Dampare refuted these allegations and indicated that the service had promoted all who were due.
He said he was not of the decision to interdict three officers for their involvement in a viral leaked tape which seeks to oust him from office.
He said the decision was taken by the Police Council and he recused himself from it.
According to him, since the matter broke, he has recused himself from all decisions regarding it.
Dr Dampare also vehemently denied allegations that he frequently speaks to President John Mahama.
He denied claims that he has created a ‘Special Dampare Unit’ in the Police Service that reports only to him.
The IGP said there was no such unit and urged the public to treat the claim with the contempt it deserves.
He explained that as part of a decentralization agenda, such intelligence units work under their regional commanders and report to them not to the IGP.
He said he worked with his colleagues to decentralize that unit such that each of the 25 policing commands will have their own intelligence units that shape intelligence gathering to form the operations of the region.
At the start of proceedings, Mr Kwame Gyan, the Lawyer for Dr Dampare, requested for the three implicated senior police officers to be excused from the proceedings during his client’s testimony in the ongoing leaked tape probe.
But, it was overruled by Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea. National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, Mr Naabu and the IGP have been invited to appear before the Committee today.
