Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), rejected having any business dealings with Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chair of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Tuesday.
He testified before a seven-member, bipartisan committee of Parliament looking into a purported video that included a conspiracy to have him removed from power, saying, “I do not have any working relations with him.”
This was in answer to a query from Mr. James Agalga, the Committee Vice Chairperson, regarding whether he had professional ties to Mr. Bugri Naabu.
Mr. Agalga, an additional questioner and MP for Builsa North for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), questioned Mr. Dampare if he hired Mr. Bugri Naabu to covertly record the recording that had been released. Mr. Dampare replied “No.”
When Mr. Bugri Naabu, who is also the Paramount Chief of Namong in the North East Region of the Mamprugu Kingdom, arrived before the Committee on Monday, August 28, 2023, he reportedly paid someone to record the dialogue after checking the authenticity of the recording that had been leaked.
Before being named the IGP, Dr. Dampare was recommended to the President by Mr. Bugri Naabu, according to Mr. George L. Asare, Superintendent of Police, who made the allegations on Monday, September 4, during his appearance before the Committee. Mr. Bugri Naabu also allegedly claimed that the IGP planned to record their conversation with Mr. Bugri Naabu, according to his sources.
The seven-member, bipartisan committee of Parliament is led by Mr. Samuel Atta Akyea, an NPP member for Abuakwa South, while Mr. James Agalga, an NDC member for Builsa North, serves as vice-chairman. The committee is looking into the veracity of a purported audio recording that contains a conspiracy to remove Dr. Dampare.
A leaked audio tape that supposedly shows a police commissioner and a politician outlining a scheme to oust IGP Dampare from his position went viral on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
As a result, the Minority Caucus in Parliament demanded an investigation into the recording that was released.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, subsequently established the seven-member bipartisan Committee to investigate the covert audio recording of an alleged attempt to depose Dr. Dampare as IGP before the 2024 general election on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
Due to the ongoing inquiry, the Committee was consequently given the mandate to report back to the House by September 10, 2023, however, this was unsuccessful.
Three members from the Majority and Minority sides of the Parliament, as well as a technical specialist, make up the Committee.
Members of the Committee include Mr. Peter Lanchene Tuobu, NDC MP for Wa West, Mr Eric Opoku, NDC MP for Asunafo South, Madam Ophelia Mensah, NPP MP for Mfantseman, and Mr. Patrick Yaw Boamah, NPP MP for Okaikwei Central.
While Mr. Bagbin chose Dr. Isaac Lartey Annang, a human rights advocate and lawyer, as a technical person.
Mr Bugri Naabu listed three police officers with whom he had a chat in his office in Osu: Mr Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, a Superintendent of Police; Mr George L. Asare, a Superintendent of Police; and Mr. George Alex Mensah, a Commissioner of Police.
