The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, on Tuesday, September 12 raised objection to the presence of the senior officers who have previously appeared before the bi-partisan committee looking into the leaked audio recording.
Speaking on behalf of Dr Akuffo Dampare, lead counsel Kwame Gyan said they are not comfortable with the presence of the witnesses.
“The presence in this room at this time of the witnesses who previously were invited by this august committee and who have gone through the process of giving their testimonies,” IGP’s counsel said, clarifying: “Our first objection has to do with the presence of other witnesses.”
The IGP’s hearing was done in public despite an earlier notice by the Chairman of the ad hoc committee to have it in-camera.
In his announcement of Tuesday’s sitting, Samuel Atta Akyea said the witnesses including the IGP were going to appear with their lawyers in an all-in-camera session.
“We’re calling all the witnesses who have come before us,” the Abuakwa South Member of Parliament (MP) had told Media General‘s Duke Opoku Mensah in a telephone interview.
“Chief [Daniel] Bugri Naabu, Superintendent [George Lysander] Asare, Commissioner [George Alex] Mensah and, then, we also want to bring along the Inspector General of Police.
“It’s going to be in-camera because we are now delving deep into the evidence and some of the evidence might have National Security implications.
“Most of the things we are going to do now will be in-camera unless it is obvious that it has no National Security implications and therefore it could be aired.”
But the legal representatives of Dr Akuffo Dampare were not happy the witnesses were in the same auditorium as the senior-most police officer took his seat to witness.
They also raised concerns about the terms of reference of the committee, indicating that they will not go beyond what was presented them in the invitation.