Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, COP rtd. Mensah said he has worked with COP Yohuno for 31 years and believes he will bring positive change to the Ghana Police Service.

“If he leads the police the way I know him to, then I will not be disappointed, and police officers will be happy,” he stated.

He has described the new IGP as a good listener, an experienced and practical police officer who understands his work.

“He is not a dictator. He accepts advice and is always willing to listen to his people and new ideas,” COP Mensah retired added.

Stressing the importance of effective leadership, he noted that “policing is not on social media; it is underground work,” urging COP Yohuno to remain focused on the job.

“I trust him, and I know he will deliver,” he affirmed.

COP Yohuno’s appointment follows President Mahama’s decision to relieve Dr. George Akuffo Dampare of his post as IGP.

The appointment, announced by Minister of Government Communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu, was made in consultation with the Council of State.

With 40 years of experience in the service, COP Yohuno is expected to lead the modernization and transformation of the Ghana Police Service.

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Speaking on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM, Mr. Mensah said the IGP has demoted some police officers he worked with to serve in villages.

“I have no issues with the IGP. The people I work with at the headquarters have been demoted to work in villages. He is victimizing all those who worked with me. About five police officers. All these happened after I retired. He has transferred them all,” he said.

The retired Commissioner of Police reiterated claims that the IGP was the mastermind behind his leaked audio tape.

In the said audio tape, COP Mensah is heard lobbying for the top police job while accusing IGP Dampare of mismanaging the Police Service.

COP Mensah has filed nominations to contest in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries for the Bekwai constituency and says he is confident of winning the primary elections.

“I am very confident on winning the primaries. The IGP leaked tape saga won’t have any effect on me, I only spoke the truth. Everyone now knows that I am a man of truth,” he said.

According to him, he will back all his claims with evidence to clear his name.

COP retired Alex George Mensah during his recent appearance before the committee indicated that the IGP lacks the capacity to lead the Ghana Police Service. 

The leaked tape, which has been widely shared on social media and other platforms, reportedly contains conversations among the three senior police officers discussing plans for the removal of the current IGP with the former Northern Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bugri Naabu.

Ahead of the resumption of the committee sitting today, October 10, 2023, COP retired Alex George Mensah, expressed hope that the truth will come out soon. 

“I will be vindicated, I know what happened. Some things on the tape are lies, what I said, I said the truth and I will say it again anywhere, but I’m not ready to discuss it here as I said, because it’s before a committee. I hope we will wait until the committee comes out with their report, then everybody will know the truth,” he said in an interview on TV3.

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Mensah, who is also the aspiring NPP parliamentary candidate for the Bekwai constituency, made the call in an interview with Asaase Radio.

He said that the NPP is the best party to manage the affairs of the country and that the party has a proven track record of implementing policies that benefit the poor and needy.

“I see the NPP as the best party that can help the country. The whole world knows what is happening and we know what this government is doing to make sure that Ghana will be able to overcome all these problems. At least we still have free SHS, don’t we?” Mensah asked.

The Free SHS policy, which was introduced by the NPP government in 2017, provides free tuition, boarding, and meals to all public senior high school students in Ghana.

The policy has been praised by many for making secondary education more accessible to all Ghanaians, regardless of their financial background.

However, the policy has also been criticized by some for its high cost. In recent months, the government has been under pressure to reduce its spending on the policy, especially in the wake of the current economic crisis.

Despite the pressure, the government has maintained that it is committed to the Free SHS policy. In August 2023, Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare assured Ghanaians that President Nana Akufo-Addo would not cancel the policy.

“The Free SHS Policy is helping the vulnerable, poor, and needy Ghanaians in society. President Nana Akufo-Addo will not cancel it but rather do everything possible to sustain the policy because of the great impact it is having on the lives of Ghanaian youth,” she said.

The 2024 general election in Ghana is expected to be a close race between the NPP and the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The free SHS policy is likely to be a major issue in the campaign.

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He made the announcement after his retirement from the Ghana Police Service after 31 years of service.

“I’m no longer a police officer. I knew from the day I became an officer that a day like this would come. I’m happy I’ve served my country. I have so many options and it’s been a passion of mine to serve my people in the Asante Bekwai constituency. I will contest the seat,” he said on Accra-based Angel FM.

Asante Bekwai has been stronghold of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for many years.

Although COP Mensah (Rtd) is a known sympathizer of the NPP, he did not disclose on which party’s ticket he will contest.

The seat is currently held by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu also known as Joe Wise who may not contest in the 2024 general elections.

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According to him, the suspension creates a serious impression that politics has taken over everything in Ghana.

“I am surprised. It’s unfortunate that the Ghana Police Service has rescinded their earlier interdiction of the three police officers. It sends a bad impression,” he said on Accra-based Neat FM.

Mr. Bonaa is convinced the police might have breached a certain provision hence the u-turn.

“It is very clear that they have breached a certain provision. This interdiction that has been suspended should have happened long ago. As far as I’m concerned, I see the undoing of this interdiction to be a serious undermining of the office of the Vice President” he added.

Dr. Bonaa warned the outcome of the investigations may have serious implications during the 2024 general elections.

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The Protocol officer with the Service says his checks point to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) as being the one who facilitated the recording for ulterior motive.

The subject is a leaked audio in which police officers were heard conspiring to find a replacement for the current IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

But this conversation leaked sparking uproar and a Parliamentary Probe.

This particular allegation came up when he was asked who could have doctored the tape while being interrogated by a parliamentary committee.

Last Friday, COP Alex Mensah told the committee that the IGP George Akuffo Dampare superintended the leaking of the tape.

“He sent some people to do it, after which he went for it. So the tape, from my intel, is with the IGP, and he caused it to be leaked.

“So if this committee wants the tape, the right person to call before this committee is the Inspector General of Police,” he said on September 1.

When quizzed on his take on COP Mensah’s assertion today, Supt George Asare responded in the affirmative.

According to him, intelligence gathered shows that “the IGP agreed with Bugri Naabu after he [Naabu] had gone to inform the IGP that “somebody wants your post oo, he has come to me” to the extent that the CV that was collected from Commissioner and sent to Bugri Naabu by those boys…The CV that was intended for the appointing authorities, he gave it to the IGP.”

The officer says he had more information to produce but feared they had the propensity to tamper with national security.

For the matter, he requested an in-camera hearing to make those details available including the persons he suspected played pivotal roles in what he suspects to be sabotage.

“I will be happy that I say more when I am in-camera because it is not a healthy development at all,” he further mentioned.

“If you could remember when Alhaji [Bugri Naabu] called me, he knows my name and that I am Asare but God works under mysterious circumstances. I don’t know what moved Bugri Naabu into calling me Asante.

“And the Asante, per our Intel, is a corporal or sergeant who has been promoted to go to police college to become an ASP. And this same ASP, it was Commissioner George Alex Mensah who made him go to the peacekeeping mission. ‘Masa’ let me say this in-camera.”

Shortly after this revelation, the sitting was adjourned briefly to make way for a private session.

The media was advised to excuse the committee while they interrogated the police officer for the rest of the details in-camera.

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He said this during day two of the public hearing by the seven member committee set up by parliament to investigate a leaked audio tape suggesting a plot to oust the IGP, George Akuffo Dampare.

In a series of questions posed by the Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku, concerning specific statements the Commissioner made in the leaked audio tape suggesting his affiliation to the NPP, the COP stated emphatically that his entire family has been faithful to the United Party (UP) tradition from which the NPP emerged.

“Mr. Chairman, my family has been with the UP tradition ever since I was born, and we’ve remained there till now,” he said.

Probing further, Mr. Opoku asked him if he was a card bearing member of the NPP.

He denied this by waving his finger at the MP; however, Chairman of the committee, Samuel Atta-Akyea, noted that answering such a question would be injurious to future prospects of the COP.

He said, “It has serious consequences for him and you know. So please you can ask another question.  Because when you say he is a card-bearing member of the NPP then that is serious. You want to say he is a political activist in the police service that is serious.”

Mr. Opoku insisted that the question was a critical one and insisted that the Chairman must permit that line of question.

“Mr. Chairman, I thank you very much. But I will also entreat you with all respect, we all like the way you’re chairing this committee, very fair to all of us. And therefore I will entreat that when I pose harmless questions, the witness should be allowed to answer those questions otherwise it will appear that you don’t want us to ask all the critical questions,” he urged.

After further deliberation, the question was rephrased, to which COP Mensah answered;

“I am a sympathizer of the NPP.”

Eric Opoku: “So you’re not a member, you’re a sympathiser is that what you’re saying to this committee?”

COP Mensah: “Yes. Mr. Chairman. I’ve said it already.”

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Supt. Asare who made his appearance on Monday, September 4, 2023, revealed he suggested embattled Director of Operations, COP Alex Mensah, as a potential candidate for the IGP position.

The suggestion, according to him, was made to former Northern Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu.

This, he explained, was after the latter informed him about President Nana Akufo-Addo’s plans to look for a new IGP.

Supt. Asare said he recommended three Commissioners of Police (COPs), including Mr Alex Mesnah.

“I made three recommendations, including COP Alex Mensah, Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, and Christian Tetteh Yuhuno,” he said.

However, the police officer said his recommendation was not to lobby for anyone or influence the decision of the appointing authority; instead, it was a genuine opinion based on what was asked of him.

According to him, there are a lot of things not going on well under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

“The IGP is embarking on a populace approach with all his activities in public and on social media, so people are judging that he is doing well, but there is a lot wrong,” he said.

Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, he said a lot of service personnel, despite not being happy, are not able to speak out.

“I am not surprised about these things coming up, but it is a good thing the COP has spoken up on them; he has done well and must be commended. However, this man has been bold because he is about to go on retirement and wouldn’t have been this courageous if still in active service,” Mr Boateng stated.

To him, IGP Dampare is running an autocratic system that will not help Ghana, adding that his position is not about public showmanship.

“This is the first time commanders are not able to speak under an IGP, but that is not how to run a Police Service. It is about interaction and intelligence because that is how you can get information and work with it, but now everything has been left to the IGP,” he added.

Appearing before the Ad-Hoc committee set up by Parliament to investigate and ascertain the veracity or otherwise of a leaked tape about the supposed conspiracy on Wednesday, August 31, COP Mensah accused Dr Dampare of not managing the police well.

COP Mensah indicated that although there is no bad blood between himself and the IGP Dampare, there are professional disagreements between them occasionally at the top level.

His posture and certain statements have, however, been widely condemned by a section of Ghanaians.

For instance, the President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has said the allegations may be borne out of hatred.

But to Mr. Boateng, the issues raised by COP Mensah must be critically looked into and not swept under the carpet to ensure appropriate reforms in the Police Service.

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According to him, taking into consideration the confession made by COP Mensah that he had long harboured an ambition to become IGP, it is quite clear whatever statement he is making against the IGP is tainted with prejudice and must be taken with a pinch of salt.

He said the enquiry need not to continue on those allegations but must remain focused on the core reason why it was established.

“The reason for this enquiry is to establish certain facts; whether the voices are authentic, whether some of the comments that have been made can be ascribed to the said persons – the witnesses. And so to a very large extent, they have accepted that most of the comments are theirs.

“Well, I can understand we want to seek forensic experts to find whether certain aspects of the tape have been doctored, that may well be in the rights of everyone, but for me I am struggling to understand what is happening here.

“This is a gentleman who says that look, he had nursed feelings about being named the IGP and then because of that he’s had all these, for lack of a better word, some sort of hatred towards the person of the IGP. Now there has been a leaked tape involving him and then he’s making other accusations that the IGP is a very bad leader, he’s at crosshairs with the military establishment, I mean, I’m struggling to understand how we should be admitting some of these comments or commentary from the same person who has haboured these deep cynicism and deep hatred for the person of the IGP.

“Most of all this could be concocted really and maybe we should spend time looking into those matters but for me I think this matter is pretty straight forward. He’s accepted that his voice is on the tape, he made those very serious accusations and the matter for me ends there,” he said on Top Story on Joy FM.

COP Mensah, Bugri Naabu and two others are facing parliament’s ad-hoc committee for their role in a leaked audio tape where they were heard allegedly scheming to get the IGP out of office.

Background

On July 25, the Speaker of Parliament named Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta-Akyea as the chairperson of a 7-member ad-hoc committee to probe the recently leaked controversial audio in which voices are heard clandestinely plotting to oust the Inspector General of Police.

The viral audio, which revealed a supposed conspiracy by a senior police officer and a leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office, resulted in a debate on the floor of Parliament with the Minority calling for a forensic audit.

Subsequently, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin proposed the setting up of the Special Committee.

Mr. Bagbin asked the committee to submit its report by September 10, 2023.

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According to him, COP Mensah should have followed the organizational structure of the police to address his concerns.

Appearing before the Ad-Hoc committee set up by Parliament to investigate and ascertain the veracity or otherwise of a leaked tape about the supposed conspiracy on Wednesday, August 31, COP Mensah accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare of not managing the police well.

COP Mensah had indicated that, although there is no bad blood between himself and the IGP Dampare, there are professional disagreements between them occasionally at the top level.

He was captured together with some senior police officers and the former Northern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Bugri Naabu, in a conversation ostensibly plotting to remove the IGP before the 2024 elections.

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Mr. Naabu had leaked a private conversation between them that contained sensitive information regarding a purported plot to oust the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

COP Alex Mensah emphasized that the conversation in question was intended to remain confidential between him and Bugri Naabu, not meant for public consumption.

When asked about his feelings of betrayal by Bugri Naabu’s actions, COP Mensah utilized a vivid comparison to convey his perspective during a committee hearing on August 31, 2023

“Mr. Chair, it is out of betrayal because what you say, which might be the truth might not be meant for everybody. It is like telling your friend about your girlfriend, then he [the friend] goes to tell your wife. That is the truth, but it was not meant for your wife.”

The background to this scenario stems from the leakage of an audio recording that allegedly captured a conversation between a Police Commissioner and a politician.

The discussion revolved around a plot to remove the current Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare. This leak has sparked public outrage due to its implications.

In the audio recording, the Police Commissioner, who referred to himself as “Mensa,” was heard engaged in a conversation with Bugri Naabu, wherein they discussed the potential removal of IGP George Akuffo Dampare. The motive behind their discussion appeared to be concerns that the IGP’s stringent stance might hinder certain political activities in the upcoming 2024 elections.

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