…As The Herald digs out who did what, when and how
The Herald, is picking report from the Police service that, the coming days will be interesting at the ongoing probe by the 7-member Parliamentary committee delving into the alleged plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, by senior police officers, including Commissioner of Police (COP), Alex Mensah, Superintendent George Asare and others.
Firstly, this paper’s sources within the Service, have revealed the former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, was the one who set up the said meeting where the two officers were recorded.
Secondly, Bugri Naabu, ahead of the meeting in his Osu office in Accra, had informed the IGP about it, and the Chief Police Constable sent his men into the Osu office of the NPP stalwart to wire the place, so as to tape the conversation between him and the ambitious police officers. It was a meeting of staunch NPP members, including the police officers in a conversation with one feigning.
Thirdly, The Herald is inform that, one police officer by name Kenneth Asante-Antwi led the operation to bug Bugri Naabu’s office to tape the conversation for Dr Dampare, who was getting very agitated that he was going to be sacked by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, following the Assin North by-election defeat by the NPP.
Shortly, after the tape was leaked and played on radio, a restless Bugri Naabu, wanted to speak to his conspirators particularly, Kenneth Asante-Antwi on why the tape had been released, but ended up calling Superintendent Asare, and got threatened by the Superintendent, who was angry that he had gotten him into a setup.
Fourthly, Bugri Naabu, according to The Herald’s insiders, had strangely been aware of the ambitions of COP Alex Mensah and Superintendent George Asare, who don’t hide their NPP credentials, and got them to submit the said CV of COP Mensah after telling them he could make the senior police officer, an IGP, although he was only months away from retirement.
Bugri Naabu, quickly sent the CV of COP Mensah to the IGP to convince him about the pending meeting and policemen dispatched there to get the recording done to assure himself of plots to oust him by some of his men. The full and unedited tape is therefore, with the IGP, the two senior police officers, have said to the Parliamentary Committee.
They had insisted that, what has been played on radio stations so far, was an edited version of the tape.
The Herald’s information is that, the portions edited are not favorable to the IGP. On the portions, the senior officers in the meeting are said to have explained to Bugri Naabu their impression of Dr Dampare, justifying why he is not fit to remain in office as IGP, aside their other claims that he is not an NPP man.
There are claims Bugri Naabu, has been getting supply contracts from the Police administration with reports that the latest deal he got from the service, is a 40,000 footwear contract.
The Herald, has further picked up a report that President Akufo-Addo, had already gotten the National Bureau of Investigations (NIB) to investigate the matter by speaking to the various actors, and they laid every fact on the matter bare.
Among those spoken by the NIB, were some workers in the Osu office of Bugri Naabu, the NPP Northern Regional Chairman.
It is not clear, whether Parliamentary Committee chaired by Samuel Atta Akyea, the MP for Abuakwa South, is making any effort to speak to the management of NIB to get its report on the matter, and whether in the absence of the NIB report, the one from Parliamentary committee based on the accounts so far, will have any resemblance to it.
But already, both Superintendent Asare and COP Mensah, have called Bugri Naabu a liar and the tape in the public domain as doctored.
Bugri Naabu, merely played on the Police officers to expose themselves more, including asking them to see a Mallam to get COP Mensah to become IGP.
Among other things, Superintendent Asare, told the Committee on Monday, when he appeared that Bugri Naabu’s son, a prophet, had been angry at his father for recording the conversation.
Superintendent Asare, described the meeting in Bugri Naabu’s office as a setup with his instincts telling him on the day not to attend, having received about 12 missed calls from the NPP stalwart which had made him uncomfortable until COP Mensah, had asked him to attend the meeting.
Like COP Mensah, Superintendent Asare, had insisted on giving some of his testimony to the Committee in-camera, since some of the evidence had national security implications.
Again like COP Mensah, he talked about the tape being doctored and insisted that there is a fuller audio tape on the matter in the Custody of the IGP, and went further to say that there are two police officers who are willing to assist the Parliamentary committee to get to the bottom of the matter.
He also mentioned giving a name as “Area Mama” as someone who was also involved in the matter. The Herald’s information is that the said “Area Mama” is the niece to President Akufo-Addo and she is very popular in and outside Jubilee House, the Presidency. She is used to lobbying.
Superintendent Asare, hinted that Bugri Naabu, recommended using Mallams to help them remove the IGP.
Bugri Naabu recommended three Mallams and suggested they fight the IGP both physically and spiritually.
According to him, Bugri Naabu, cited instances where he had assisted people in getting spiritual support for positions in higher places, adding that he objected to the idea of seeking spiritual help, but Bugri Naabu insisted on getting the spiritual help.
He denied lobbying for anyone to become IGP.
“It was Chief Bugri Naabu who invited me to his office. I wasn’t lobbying for anybody. Chief Bugri Naabu made an emphatic statement about this thing, I want to quote him verbatim, but it will be difficult. All that he was trying to say was that this thing, we have to fight it, both physically and spiritually. And then he gave examples of people that he helped them fight for the positions spiritually. It was a private conversation, I don’t want to make it public here. But the spiritual one, he went further to show us which places he can go. So it was on the premise of this that I made the statement that Alhaji, this one, you are the spiritual controller. Because you [Bugri Naabu] made us understand that I didn’t even know that, when you are fighting for a position, you have to fight it in two ways, both spiritually and physically.”
He stressed, “I said that as for Master [COP George Alex Mensah] I don’t think he will buy into this idea of fighting this spiritually, because he’s a Christian. He [Bugri Naabu] mentioned some Imams, that can help pray for him [COP Alex Mensah]. Some Imams can help him with prayers. Chief Bugri Naabu insisted that he has to also see some Mallams. He recommended about three, some in the North, and some from his village. It was Chief Bugri Naabu himself that came forth with that suggestion,” Supt. Asare insisted.
He indicated that Bugri Naabu was told the spiritual background of COP Alex Mensah, and he insisted on consulting Mallams.
“Chief Bugri Naabu was aware that COP Alex Mensah, is a Christian, but he also wanted him to as well allow him to consult some Mallams for him. That is why I said Alhaji [Bugri Naabu] this is one is your job, you can do it, if you can help,” he said.
He indicated that the one who doctored the tape had ‘evil’ intentions, because the part where he objected to the use of Mallams was edited out of the leaked audio.
“The one who doctored the tape actually meant something evil, because this is a conversation we have had, what was going through my mind I said it, but it wasn’t captured on the tape,” he said.
