I didn’t invite the police officer and others - Bugri Naabu speaks about plot to remove IGP

Former Northern Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bugri Naabu has admitted to being the politician captured in a leaked audio which contained a conspiracy to remove Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based Oyereba FM, he said that he did not invite the police commissioner and others who were also captured in the audio, saying they came to see him because he is a senior member of the NPP.

According to him, the people who were captured talking about plans to oust the IGP should be held accountable, and not him. He spoke following the arrest of his aide and his receptionist by the Burau of National Investigations (NIB) ostensibly in connection with the leaked audio.

“Am I the one who appointed the IGP? Am I the government to appoint IGP for me to talk about his removal?”

Naabu denied allegations that either he or some of his workers recorded the conversation between him and the conspirators and leaked it to the public.

“No, why should I do that, the people do not have sense. If they have sense, even some of my telephone calls were in the tape. Do you think that if I am recording, I will let my personal matter inside the tape? I do not think so, and I do not know but they cannot do that. We do not have any recording here but my phone can record, why I should get the tape to record?” he asked.

He visited the radio station to complain about the arrest of his receptionist and his aide who he said were picked up by NIB officials while they were on their way to work.

A week ago, a leaked audio emerged, which had a Police Commissioner who identified himself as Mensa and a politician, who also describes himself as a former Northern regional chairman of the ruling NPP, plotting the removal of IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare because he is too firm and will not allow the 2024 election to be rigged.

In the leaked audio, the Police Commissioner who is said to be retiring is heard in the leaked audio telling the politician that the NPP should forget winning the next general elections if the current IGP remains in office.

To convince the politician, Commissioner Mensa cited the rigorousness of the security the IGP provided during the recent Assin North by-election, saying he will do the same or even more, which might foil any attempt by the NPP to steal victory in the 2024 election.

“This IGP won’t help us. He won’t, he wants everything to be done fairly and we don’t win elections that way. If we don’t remove him, we can’t break the 8, in politics we need machinations and this IGP won’t allow that,” Commissioner Mensa said in the leaked audio.

He went further to express frustration that all his efforts to convince President Akufo Addo to sack IGP Dr Dampare have proved futile.

“The President is not listening; I have been telling him. Even if they don’t want to give me the job, they should give it to another person but they don’t want to listen,” Commissioner Mensa cried in the explosive audio.

Meanwhile, the speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin has directed that a committee be set up to probe the leaked audio.

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