Leaked IGP Tape: Lawyers For Implicated Police Officers Raise Prejudice Concerns
Lawyers for the three police officers implicated in the alleged ‘IGP leaked tape’ have raised concerns over what they described as prejudicial comments made by two members of the ad-hoc parliamentary committee probing the issue.
During the hearing on Thursday, August 31, the committee encountered objections raised by the legal representatives of the senior police officers implicated in the leaked tape.
Derrick Owusu Boateng, the lawyer representing the police officers, argued that media comments made by former police officer and MP for Wa West Peter Toobu Lanchene and MP for Builsa North James Agalga since the issue came up in the public domain could compromise their impartiality during the proceedings.
“We have gathered from the news some members of the committee who have made comments that are prejudicial even before the matter was started. The Member of Parliament for Wa West Peter Toobu says, ‘Hellfire awaits police officers whose names were mentioned in the IGP’s attempted elimination leaked tape.’ He was emphatic that those individuals will regret ever choosing the police as a profession.
“The vice chairman[James Agalga] is reported to have also stated that ‘actions of the police officers for me pass treason and this matter must be dealt with as such’”.
However, Mr. Toobu and Mr. Agalga dismissed the concerns that the comments could affect the work of the committee.
Mr Toobu denied making the comments attributed to him.
Chairman of the committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased process, assuring Mr Boateng that the witnesses’ rights would be upheld.
COP George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Gyebi appeared before parliament after being cited in the leaked tape recorded by Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Naabu confirmed the authenticity of the content of the leaked audio tape when he appeared before the committee on Monday, August 28.
According to him, the conversation, which sparked controversy, indeed transpired between himself and three other high-ranking police officers.