Retired Commissioner of Police, COP George Alex Mensah, has stated that the Ghana Police Service cannot punish him over the alleged plot to get the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare removed from office.
According to him, even if the Committee finds him guilty of any crime, it is the state that has to take him on and prove its case against him.
The man, who had been on leave prior to officially retiring on September 18, 2023 after 31-years in the service, was heard on a leaked tape running down Dr. Dampare’s administration, and suggesting that he was not going to help the governing party if he was to stay in office till the 2024 elections.
He was in the company of another senior police officer, Superintendent George Asare, together with a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bugri Naabu, who has admitted recording the conversation.
COP Alex Mensah ((RTD), has since appeared before a parliamentary committee tasked with investigating the contents on the tape, where he made further damning claims about the IGP, describing him as the worst IGP the service has ever had.
The parliamentary committee is yet to submit its report after interrogating the parties in the matter including the IGP.
But the now retired COP Alex Mensah, who appears calm about the incident, told Evans Mensah on PM Express, that even his colleague, Superintendent George Asare, who’s still in the service, has equally committed no offence that should warrant any punishment.
“The committee is doing a perfect job because they are looking for the truth and they’ve gotten all the truth to assist them to come out with their report.
“Unfortunately for them, I am no more a police man. But what has he [Supt. George Asare] done? Because he went to see a politician and spoke to him he should be charged? For what? If you go into the Police Service’s rules and regulations, it says that, if you do anything that will bring about political uproar, then you can be charged. And the one who brought the uproar is the one who brought this [The recording] into the media. There was nothing like a plot” he reiterated.
“The Police Service cannot do anything to me. If the committee comes out that I have committed a crime, then the state can do something to me. I have nothing to do with the Police Service as I speak.
Asked whether he retired with all his benefits he responded “Yes, nothing can be in jeopardy. If there’s a crime, even that one has to go to court for the court to prove that indeed I have committed a crime” he argued.
According to the aspiring New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Bekwai Constituency in the Ashanti Region, the whole issue has been exaggerated, insisting that there was never a plot to remove the IGP as has been suggested.
He insisted that the conversation was a private one, and that the focus should be on whoever leaked the conversation and not on those who were having normal conversations.
The former police commissioner has already told the parliamentary committee that the tape was doctored to achieve a certain malicious agenda.
“I did not say anything wrong in the tape. I was not planning a coup, neither was I planning to go and sell cocaine or steal. All that I said on the tape is the truth. And as I said before the committee, if you give me the chance, I will say it here and say it anywhere else.”
What offence have we committed? Having a conversation with somebody privately is it an offence? Then we should look for the person who recorded and brought it out. He’s the one who has caused the problem. He’s the person who should be charged. People are just misinterpreting everything. Private conversations are private conversations and if you illegally record them and take it to court it will be thrown away.”
The former COP insisted that Bugri Naabu who invited him and Superintendent Asare to the meeting obviously connived with someone and plotted the entire incident for reasons best known to him.
He told Evans Mensah that the scandal has actually been a blessing to him.
Asked whether he had any regrets for what had happened, he retorted “No, never. You see, God has His own way of blessing people. Had it not been for this tape, maybe we wouldn’t have been here. My name and my picture wouldn’t have been where it is circulating now. Now, if you go to my constituency, everybody knows me. Everybody is looking for me.”
My friends who have not heard from me for years are calling me from the U.S., U.K., and Germany everywhere. God has His own way of bringing up somebody. Sometimes you will not understand, but at the end of the day, you will understand and say, I thought this was a problem, but that was the way the Lord is using to bring you up.”
