Leak Tape: You Can’t Blackmail Me to Cover Your Shame- IGP tells Accusers

The Inspector General Police (IGP), Dr George Akufo Dampare, has slammed his accusers in the leaked audio tape for trying to blackmail him in order to cover up the shame they brought to themselves and the police services.

The IGP was responding to questions when he appeared before the Parliament Ad-hoc Committee on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

He said the allegation peddled by COP Alex George Mensah, Supt George Asare and Supt Gbeti as captured in the leaked tape and those said at the committee hearing, were made obliviously to blackmail him in their attempt to achieve whatever ambition they intended.

“All that said about me before this committee is falsehood, untrue and self-ambitious agenda and they cannot blackmail me to cover their shame,” Dr. Dampare said.

In his preliminary, Dr George Akuffo Dampare said his rise to the position of Inspector General of Police (IGP) is based on merit and not any other considerations.

According to him, he has been diligent about his work and that diligence is what has gotten him to the position he occupies currently.

He added that he earned his position duly and not based on favours, saying, “So in terms of my ranking in the police service, it has been purely based on my competencies, my academic qualifications and hard work because of the passion I have for the work. I have not at any point in time been called aside by any individual and granted me any favour.”

Dr Akuffo Dampare who rose through all the ranks to become IGP had been accused by the previous witnesses and was invited by the committee which believes must be addressed.

Meanwhile, the Committee has insisted that there were issues in the hearing that needed to be prevented from coming out in the public to protect national security.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon Samuel Atta Akyea said issues bothering national security will be referred for an in-camera session

He said the ad hoc committee probing the leaked audio recording on the Inspector General of Police has no intention to disgrace anybody by going public with some of the witnesses.

“We do not have malice aforethought,” he stressed on Tuesday, September 12. We do not believe anybody’s disgrace will inure to our benefit,” he added.

Nonetheless, Atta Akyea insisted that there will be in-camera sessions for the witnesses but a decision was taken that matters that will not be injurious to national security are those going to be heard in public.