The lawyers for the police officers implicated in a leaked tape plotting the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, have objected to the participation of two Members of Parliament, Peter Toobu Lanchene and James Agalga, on the parliamentary committee probing the matter.
During the hearing convened 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, including COP George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Asare, and Superintendent Emmanuel Gyebi, argued that Lanchene and Agalga had made public statements that could potentially compromise their impartiality during the proceedings.
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Despite repeated attempts to push for the removal of Lanchene and Agalga from the committee, Atta Akyea, the committee’s chairman, asserted that the alleged comments did not taint the committee’s investigative integrity.
Atta Akyea reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased process, assuring Boateng that the witnesses’ rights would be upheld as long as he remained at the helm of the committee.
Mr Toobu and Mr Agalga also dismissed the concerns that the comments could in any way affect the work of the committee. Mr Toobu particularly denied making the comments attributed to him in a story published by Ghanaweb.
Mr. Naabu on Monday confirmed the veracity of the contentious audio when he appeared before the committee.
The leaked audio captured an alleged plot to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo-Dampare ahead of the 2024 polls.
