Chairman Atta Akyea's handling of IGP tape case under fire from Civil Society Groups

Civil society organizations in the country have raised concerns about the actions of Samuel Atta Akyea, the chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee tasked with investigating the leaked IGP tape.

They accuse him of exceeding his mandate and potentially prejudicing the inquiry, prompting a call for intervention by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.

Franklin Cudjoe, President of Imani Ghana, expressed their grievances during an interview with CITI FM. Cudjoe mentioned that representatives from civil society groups met with the Speaker to express their concerns. They highlighted the chairman's apparent tendency to place the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on trial, even after the individuals on the audio recording admitted their voices matched those on the tape.

The civil society groups sought clarity regarding the original terms of reference for the Committee. They feared that Chairman Atta Akyea was constructing his own narrative by devising questions and providing answers.

The Speaker clarified that the Committee had specific terms of reference focused on establishing the authenticity of the tape and identifying the individuals making the comments. Since the implicated parties had acknowledged their voices on the recording, civil society groups questioned the need to prolong the matter.

Cudjoe expressed their concerns about the Committee's handling of the case, emphasizing that even ranking members had felt compelled to walk away during certain proceedings.

Meanwhile, lawyers representing the Inspector General of Police refuted Chairman Atta Akyea's claim that they had retracted their accusations of bias during an in-camera hearing.

The legal team asserted that their belief in the chairman's bias remained steadfast. They urged that the issue should not overshadow the substantive matters at hand and emphasized the need for a fair and impartial inquiry into the IGP tape.

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