Political analyst, Yaw Asani Tanoh, is of the assertion that retired Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, is susceptible to involvement in a coup d’état over his inability to become Inspector General of Police (IGP).
In recent weeks, the now-retired police commissioner gained significant public attention in Ghana due to the leak of a voice recording in which he purportedly discusses the performance of the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, and advocates for his removal from office, citing mismanagement of the Ghana Police Service.
The leaked audio recording is currently under investigation by a parliamentary ad hoc committee. COP George Alex Mensah and other police officers have already appeared before the committee to provide their testimonies regarding the leaked recording. He has accused the IGP of masterminding the secret recording and its presence to the public. The IGP, has however, denied these claims.
In an interview on Neat FM, Yaw Asani Tanoh noted that the retired officer harbours bitterness, per his comments made to the media over the leaked tape, as such is peeved and may decide to engage in unlawful acitivities.
He likened COP Alex Mensah to the late retired General Joseph Arthur Ankrah, Ghana’s first military head of state, following the coup against Ghana’s first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He explained that General Ankrah participated in the ousting of Dr Nkrumah, over his forced retirement.
He said: “At a point, the Chairman of the Committee asked him why he is describing himself as best investigative officer. If indeed you are, you should have know that whichever meeting you were going to have with anybody was very sensitive and for that matter you should have been careful the way you go about.
“But you went ahead and spilled the beans. After the leaked tape, you came out to the public to spill bananas. So everyone watching and listening would say what wicked people.
“I will remind you of Kwame Nkrumah. He retired General Ankrah because of incompetence and backbiting. Because of his dealings in diamonds and other things. At the time, Nkrumah wanted to ensure that in the Police administration, they would not engage in profiteering within the system.
After he retired, Ankrah, when the coup was staged, Ankrah was one of the pivots around the coup. He was chosen as head of state after the coup. From the history I’ve heard, if you look at COP Alex Mensah’s demeanor and everything, he is a very right tool for coup d’état.
He therefore said “even in his retirement, he (COP Alex Mensah) should be watched carefully.
“He is peeved. He is hurt that he was not appointed IGP. He is very bitter,” he added.
Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah officially retired from the Police Service on Sunday, September 17, 2023, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of sixty (60), in accordance with the country’s laws.
Over his more than 30 years of dedicated service in the police force, COP Alex Mensah held various positions. Prior to proceeding on leave in preparation for his retirement, he served as the director general overseeing all Police operations nationwide.
With regards to a coup d’etat, Ghana is on the alert owing to a number of military takeovers in Africa, particularly the West African sub-region.
Democratic governance in countries such as Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have tumbled down.