Former Northern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Chief Bugri Naabu, has stated that he has been absolved of the accusation that he had doctored the tape relating to a plot against the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare.
According to him, after presenting the longer version of the tape to the ad-hoc committee of parliament probing the case, the committee admitted that the shorter version was no different.
He added that his accusers also confessed to the same.
“Asare and JB denied that they ever talked to me on phone. Yesterday, they confessed it because I presented the tape and the committee has the tape. They played it and said, yes it is true.”
Chief Bugri Naabu
He added that he asked the committee to announce it to the public but the committee wanted to finish with the entire probe first.
“So I want to tell you, I wanted the committee to say it, but they said they want to conclude before they come out. But as a chief, they have told you that we chiefs don’t lie.”
Chief Bugri Naabu
Chief Bugri Naabu emphasized that he surrendered the tape to the president in the interest of national security. According to him, the happenings he taped were very threatening to the government and the police service.
IGP’s Legal Team Corrobrate Chief’ Bugri Naabu’s Account
Meanwhile, Kofi Bentil, the spokesperson for the IGP’s legal team addressed the media regarding proceedings. In his address, he corroborated Bugri Naabu’s account indicating that the Chief had been absolved of the accusations that he had doctored the tape.
“One of the important things that came up yesterday with the controversy concerning the tape that Chief Bugri Naabu presented. Earlier, in a statement, JB had said that there was a problem with it but yesterday, he confirmed that indeed, Chief Bugri Naabu was right. It also came out that the tape was not doctored. It came up that the tape was just a longer version of the older tape. Everything on the old tape is still on the new tape.”
Kofi Bentil
He further indicated that the witnesses have thus amended their statements to that effect.
“So yesterday, they corrected that fact and everybody agreed that Chief Bugri Naabu was right. He didn’t lie. What he said was the truth. The tape was not doctored and everything was okay. So JB admitted to that and he was taken down in the records.”
Kofi Bentil
He underscored that both the long and shorter versions essentially had the same content.
“So yesterday, that correction had sufficient weight that indeed everything the chief had said was true, correct! And the tape was not doctored. It is just a long version and a short version. The long version had a whole lot of things that were not relevant. So the suggestion that there was a doctoring of the tape was entirely not true. If you compare the two tapes, everything that was on the short version is what is on the long version plus all the other stuff that was not necessary.”
Kofi Bentil
Mr. Kofi Bentil assured the public that all facts of the matter had already been made known to the public. He also added that the case should have not taken so much time as it had.
The committee investigating an audio recording related to the alleged plot against the IGP, Dr. Akuffo Dampare, continued its closed doors hearing today. Key witnesses including Chief Bugri Naabu, cop George Alex Mensah, and Superintendent George Asare were present at the hearing.
However, the IGP, Dr. George Akufo Dampare who was excused from part of the hearing on Tuesday, on grounds of ill health, was not in attendance.
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