Pressure is mounting on the Ghana Police Service to reverse the promotion of ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah who was accused of a ‘cover up’ in a the corruption allegation against two deputy chiefs of staff.
ACP Addo-Danquah who was the Deputy Director General of the Police CID, was on October 17 asked to act as the Director General following an order to her boss, COP Bright Oduro, to proceed on leave prior to retirement.
But some civil society groups have condemned the decision, which they say, puts the integrity and the credibility of the Police Service into disrepute, something they argue could cause people to put the law into their own hands.
Executive Director of Governance Watch, Stephen Kwabena Attuh said on TV3 Midday Live Wednesday that his outfit would petition the Inspector General of Police by close of this week, to get him to reconsider the decision.
Background
A conversation between ACP Addo-Danquah and musician A-Plus revealed a possible cover-up in the report of the CID on the allegations of corruption against Ghana’s deputy chiefs of staff.
A-Plus alleged corruption against the deputy chiefs of staff, Francis Asenso-Bopakye and Samuel Abu Jinapor, stating on Facebook: “It is amazing how Nana [Akufo-Addo] was able to appoint two thieves whose level of stupidity is the same. Arrogant and corrupt fools”
An investigation into the matter by the Police CID however cleared the two of corruption, descrying the allegations as baseless and without basis whatsoever.
But before the dust on the matter could settle, an audiotape between ACP Addo-Danquah and A-Plus emerged on which the former appeared to confirm the corruption allegation against the two deputy chiefs of staff.
Barely 24 hours after the audio leaked, ACP Addo-Danquah issued a statement to deny the claim, noting she couldn’t possibly had come to the conclusion that the two deputies were corrupt.
She claimed the leaked audiotape was “doctored and or edited to achieve deliberate, mischievous and evil purpose”.
Though many called for ACP Addo-Danquah to be interdicted for investigations into her “unprofessional” conduct to be carried out.
However, before any such action could be taken, she was announced as the acting Director General of the Police CID.
Credibility issues
Commenting on the latest development, Mr. Attuh said it was unfortunate ACP Addo-Danquah had been promoted when no action has so far been taken to establish or otherwise, acts of unprofessional conduct against her.
He said though the ACP said a part of the tape was doctored, “as you and I are talking today, none of us know which part of that tape recording is doctored.
Mr Attuh said the emergence of the tape on which ACP Addo-Danquah appeared to be “helping the complainant [A-Plus] to conceal facts and evidence that would implicate the individuals in the report …we think this cast a greater doubt on the work of the Ghana Police Service”.
“Now to wake up to hear such a person who has not taken any step to clear herself of any corruption charges or corruption allegation to become the head of an institution she was acting under as a deputy director which brought up a report that has cast a lot of credibility issues on the service,” he argued
The development, he averred the A-Plus – ACP Addo-Danquah saga could have future implications on the work of the Police, noting “tomorrow if another allegation of corruption is referred to her office and she investigates it and put that report out and it doesn’t confirm corruption against the individual, the people of Ghana will not take that report serious”
He added: “And we believe that is a recipe for disaster for this country”.
In view of the above, he said, they will petition the IGP to reconsider the decision to make ACP Addo-Danquah the acting Director General of the Police CID.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana