Two of the police officers involved in the alleged scheme to oust the Inspector General of Police from office have been cited for contempt of Parliament by the committee that probed the leaked tape that contained their conversation.
The two officers, despite swearing under oath, lied to the Committee.
According to the Parliamentary Committee that investigated the content of the tape, Supt. George Lysander Asare and Supt. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi “Sought to undermine the authority of Parliament” by lying under oath in their responses to the committee.
The duo, have therefore been referred to the Privileges Committee of the House to take appropriate action against them.
“Supt. Gyebi during his testimony under oath, on 31st August, 2023 denied ever speaking to Chief Bugri Naabu directly on his phone or on the phone of Supt Asare. However, when he appeared before the Committee again on 10th October, 2023, he changed his earlier testimony and affirmed that he indeed spoke to Chief Bugri Naabu on phone,” portions of the Committee’s report contained.
The Committee further said: “Supt. Asare also in answering a question under oath posed by Hon. Peter Lanchene Toobu on 4th September, 2023 on whether he was present when Chief Bugri Naabu spoke to Supt. Emmanuel Gyebi on phone, he responded in the negative. However, he changed his initial response to this question to the affirmative when he appeared before the Committee on 10th October, 2023.”
Although Chief Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chair of the NPP had told the Committee that he and Supt. Gyebi have had a conversation and agreed to present their reservations about the IGP to the President, the police officer denied ever speaking to him.
Supt. Asare in his further testimony before the committee, also denied the allegations that Supt. Gyebi spoke with Bugri Naabu on his (Asare) phone and went further to call Bugri Naabu a liar; an allegation Bugri took very strong exception to.
Following a presentation of the full tape by Chief Bugri Naabu to the Committee, the two police officers made U-turns on their earlier statements.
The two, according to the Committee’s recommendation, should be punished severely for lying under oath.
“The Committee is of the view that Supt. Asare and Supt Gyebi appeared to have acted in contempt of Parliament pursuant to Order 30 of the Standing Orders of Parliament (2000) as revised by Order 13 )1( of the Standing Orders of Parliament (2024). In this regard, the Committee is of the opinion that the matter be referred to the Privileges Committee for appropriate action”.
Three senior police officers, COP Alex George Mensah, Supt. George Lysander Asare and Supt. Emmanuel Eric Gyebi were heard on a leaked tape allegedly plotting the removal of the Inspector-General of Police with the former Northern regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Daniel Bugri Naabu.
The tape was recorded by Bugri Naabu who confirmed taping their conversation as he was shocked that serving police officers will seek to undermine the authority of the IGP in such a brazen manner and wanted to report their conduct to the president.
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