Chairman of the Committee that is investigating the leaked tape that captures an alleged plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Samuel Atta Akyea, has told the people accusing him of bias that their posture is devilish and dubious.
He wondered why lawyers of the IGP who have been making that claim failed not make the allegation before the committee when they appeared but chose to do so in the media.
Speaking to journalists after the committee sitting on Wednesday, October 11, he said ” I believe that is a very dubious and devilish posture by whoever is doing this because I don’t know why anybody in his right mind would say that I want to change the evidence to favor somebody. I was the same self Atta Akyea who afforded the IGP the opportunity to come and put his case across, that was good, was it not? So why do you now turn around that I am trying to be biased?
“I want to say to the information of the general public, what is my motive for becoming the next IGP? What was it that the Speaker saw in me, an NPP MP to chair a committee of this nature? That is the vote of confidence that this is a man who will be a fair referee for the benefit of what we want to annex and come to a conclusion.
“I leave it to those who want to be wayward, with the greatest of respects, I am not going to control IGP’s lawyers, I have said it several times that a man who has the truth on his side will come into the hallow chambers where we are and not engage in a media frenzy, that [I have] no integrity and [I am] biased but you couldn’t table before [me]. They didn’t talk about it at all.”
Asked whether he questioned them about this allegation when the accusers appeared before the committee, he said “We didn’t have to glorify it because if they were bold, they wouldn’t use the media, they would come before the committee and give us the basis of saying that.”
Earlier, when Mr Atta Akyea dismissed the claims that he was biased, he said the proceedings were being recorded and transcribed verbatim, therefore, he cannot manufacture any evidence against the IGP.
In his view, it did not accord with common sense to believe that he would be able to concoct evidence against the IGP.
This was after Lawyer for the IGP, Mr Kwame Gyan accused him of bias. Mr Gyan has had issues with how Mr. Atta Akyea conducts the affairs of the committee right from the commencement of proceedings.
When his client took his turn before the committee, Mr. Gyan protested the presence of COP Alex Mensah and Superintendent Asare who had testified against the IGP, and requested that they should be made to leave. However, Mr. Atta Akyea objected to the protest despite a suggestion by Ranking Member on the committee, Mr. James Agalga.
But Atta Akyea dismissed the allegation.
Speaking to the media on October 10, at the end of an in-camera hearing by the committee, the Akim Abuakwa South Member of Parliament said “It is very disappointing for anybody to say I am biased. On the contrary, the generality of Ghanaians believe that I have steered the affairs of the committee well.
“If anybody is having jitters, that I am going to manufacture evidence against the IGP, it does not accord with common sense.
“Because what we are doing here is being recorded, so, Atta Akyea with whatever dexterity will not be able to improve upon the evidence,” he stressed adding that he was leading a fact-finding committee, whose proceedings were being recorded and transcribed.”
The leaked tape captured COP Alex Mensah (rtd) together with some senior police officers and the former Northern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Daniel Bugri Naabu, in a conversation ostensibly plotting to remove the IGP before the 2024 elections.
The tape had suggested that the IGP was doing the bidding of former President John Dramani Mahama, who had promised to keep him at post.
Though Chief Bugri Naabu confirmed the content of the tape, COP Alex Mensah denied the content saying portions have been “edited”. Notwithstanding, he said he has no issues whatsoever with the current IGP.
The committee has suspended sitting indefinitely.
Asked whether the indefinite suspension is not going to protract matters under investigation, he answered “It is not going to protract any matter because right now we need to look at the evidence and probably start writing our report, unless there are residual matters that we later discover after reading the evidence and also listening to the audio, we are going to listen to audio tomorrow.
“All the members of the committee have been summoned to come and listen to the audio and listen to it attentively. So now, we begin to internalize what was said then we will make our decision,” he told journalists after proceedings on Wednesday.