Interior Minister reacts to audio discussing plot to remove IGP Dampare
The Minister of Interior has reacted to an audio in circulation where some persons are discussing a plan, and the reasons for which the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare should be removed from office.
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Reacting to the allegation contained in the audio, which has been shared on social media, Mr Ambrosse Dery said the allegation was baseless and unfounded and asked the public to dismiss it.
The audio does not identify any person by name, but the people involved are said to be a high ranking police officer engaged in a conversation with someone said to be a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
They discussed issues surrounding Dr Dampare's leadership as IGP in the conversation on the audio.
The person accused the IGP of being a hinderance to the success of the NPP in the 2024 elections and alleged that the IGP did not have good relations with the military.
Some have said the said senior police officer was trying to lobby for a position and hence those allegations against Dr Dampare.
Denial
Meanwhile, two people who have been named in some conversations on social media as the names behind the voices have denied, saying that was not their voices.
The audio was reportedly recorded secretly.
Below is an excerpt of the conversation contained in the audio which has generated public discussion. There are three voices on the audio. The audio started generating public discussion Tuesday morning [July 11, 2023].
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FIRST VOICE: “Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me and that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all."
FIRST VOICE: “I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get it (it is ok)… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ”
FIRST VOICE: “This IGP is not correct, he won’t help us. Alhaji you have done politics, you know elections is not… sometimes elections mafia work is inside.”
RESPONSE: “Not just sometimes, mafia work is inside. As for elections mafia work is involved.”
FIRST VOICE: “Alhaji whatever we need to do to get somebody else to supervise these elections (2024) we need to do. Because as we speak, this IGP is not fine with the military, he is fighting with the army. You find out, if any army officer is your friend, you call him and ask him that how do you see this IGP. He has been arresting military cars; commanders’ cars.”
FIRST VOICE: "If you find out yourself, he is not in good terms with Dr Bawumia… find out if you are close to Dr Bawumia because he knows that Dr Bawumia did not recommend him as IGP… Dr Bawumia knows that if we take him to elections we’ll have difficulties.”
Ambrose Dery's response
Responding to the allegation published by some media houses while speaking to the press in Parliament on Tuesday (July 11), Mr Ambrose Dery urged the public to disregard the allegation as it was baseless and unfounded.
He maintained that there is no such plot against the Inspector General of Police.
He emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity and independence of the police force.
When asked if his office is interested in probing the claim, he replied in the negative.
“I am not sure I want to get involved in any investigation except that they relate to crime, then we will do that. But I think that so far we are doing well,” he said.
“Tapes will be useful if they relate to a crime, but otherwise, ... I haven’t made that determination whether this is criminal or not...
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"...Let me make it absolutely clear that this government is not going to tamper with 2024 elections. Our president does not want to stay one more hour beyond his term. We are making sure that we have free and fair elections,” he said
Mr Dery said the IGP has been exceptional in the delivery of his duties and there are no efforts to take him out of office.
“I think that you should ignore it with the contempt that it deserves. There is no plot to remove anybody, I don’t know about anything. As far as I am concerned, he is doing a job,” he added.