The Legal Representative of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kofi Bentil, has said it is not within Parliament’s purview to investigate allegations of murder against any individual.
This follows the statement by the Chairman of the special committee formed to investigate the plot to oust the IGP, Samuel Atta Akyea, explaining that the committee could not have completed its report without delving into the allegations of extrajudicial killings made against the IGP, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.
He mentioned that it was for this purpose—issues of national security—that an in-camera hearing was conducted, hence his refusal to append his signature to the special committee’s report.
In an interview on JoyFM’s Newsnight on Thursday, July 4, Mr Bentil stated that the extrajudicial killing allegation cited by the Chairman of the special committee is baseless and does not belong in such an arrangement.
“If there has been an extra-judicial killing, is this the kind of committee that is supposed to be dealing with it?
“You are talking about murder, criminal conduct of the highest level involving international dimensions. This is not the way to handle it,” Mr Bentil emphasised.
He argued that the Chairman’s intention to make the IGP the accused would not work.
The IGP’s legal representative stressed that it is impossible for Parliament to investigate the murder, especially when it involves high officials of the State and has an international dimension.
“There can be no stretch of interpretation which brings the Speaker’s remit to the point where Parliament is given the power to set up a sub-committee to investigate the murder of an international dimension involving high officials of State. It is not possible. Parliament cannot investigate murder,” he insisted.
Touching on the Speaker’s order to the committee to go back and work on the report, Kofi Bentil said that although the Speaker had the right to make such an order, he was surprised that the report had to be returned.
“I am not sure what really has to be done,” he added.
He noted that, according to the rules of Parliament, Mr Atta Akyea’s refusal to participate in the report does not affect the report.
“My worry is what else they are looking for and whether this is all just about Atta Akyea’s refusal to participate?” he questioned.
He reiterated that the Chairman appears to have a “predetermined outcome he is looking for and to the extent that he is not getting it, he is just doing everything possible to get it.”
He also expressed concern that the second order to complete the work of the committee would not open a floodgate of allegations that the committee is not required to address.