Former Commissioner of the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah, has challenged the notion that the current Inspector General, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, enjoys widespread public support.
COP Mensah argues that the IGP’s popularity and approval ratings are primarily confined to social media, where algorithms can be manipulated to promote a specific narrative.
“I will urge you the media to do your own investigation, not on the social media. Go down there. Not on social media, public view is not on social media… social media can be hacked by people and those people can know that you are going to put this question there and they will tell their people to come and respond to it,” he challenged in a recent interview on JoyNews.
COP Mensah is currently at the center of a leaked audio recording in which he was suggested as a potential replacement for Dr. George Akuffo Dampare as the Inspector General of Police.
In the leaked audio, which has sparked a parliamentary committee investigation, COP Mensah and two other police officers are accused of attempting to garner political support for the removal of the IGP.
While advocating for COP Mensah as a suitable replacement for Dr. Dampare, these officers presented him as a dedicated supporter and member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, emphasizing his potential role in furthering the party’s 2024 electoral agenda.
They also raised doubts about Dr. Dampare’s competence and accused him of having affiliations with the opposition National Democratic Congress.
However, in his interview, COP Mensah asserted that his actions did not violate the police code of conduct for officers.
“The police service cannot do anything to me. If the committee come out to say that I have committed a crime then the state can deal with me. I have nothing to do with the police service as I speak to you now,” he stated.
On a separate note, COP Alex Mensah has confirmed his intention to compete for the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary nomination in the Bekwai Constituency.