Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), claims he recorded the discussion concerning a plot to unseat the Inspector General of Police in order to protect the party’s interests.
The secret tape’s authenticity was confirmed by Mr. Naabu, who said he intended to submit it to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in order to address the officers’ worries about the party’s future under the leadership of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
“The reason for recording this tape is that they are coming to tell me to go and tell the President something…and it is either I don’t go to tell the President and then I and my party suffer for it and if I also go to talk to the President, it is good to tell him the right thing and since I cannot keep everything they were telling me at that point, it was very good to record, and I know the President, [if] I go and tell him something, and it turns not to be true, next time he won’t give me respect,” Mr. Naabu said when he appeared before the Committee set up to probe the tape.
According to the outspoken politician, he hired someone to record the conversation on the leaked tape and didn’t do the recording himself.
“I didn’t do it myself but I requested somebody who knows how to do the recording to come and do it for me. I didn’t use a phone I went to the mall and got this ordinary tape,” he revealed.
Mr Naabu explained that he recorded the conversation with the three high-ranking police officers because of how crucial the issues being discussed were and also to have evidence to present to the president.
The former NPP Northern regional chairman identified the three Police officers as Commander Asare, COP Mensah and Superintendent Gyebi
Mr. Bugri Naabu further said the conversation had taken place within the confines of his office located in Osu, near the Osu Police Station.
His narrative states that the three top officers approached him with the intention of pushing for the IGP’s dismissal.
According to him, the top police officer’s explanation for this request was that Dr. Akuffo Dampare’s actions were thought to more closely match the objectives of the opposition NDC, thereby jeopardizing the chances of the ruling party winning the impending 2024 elections.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the leaked tape containing alleged plans by the government to remove the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, from office in an attempt to rig the 2024 elections.
The committee is chaired by the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta-Akyea, and includes a technical person, Dr. Isaac Lartey Annan, who is a lawyer and a human rights specialist.
The committee has been tasked with investigating the authenticity of the leaked tape, as well as the allegations contained therein.
The committee is also tasked with making recommendations on how to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
