A Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has expressed concerns that the Parliamentary Committee that investigated a plot by some officers to remove the Inspector General of Police from office exceeded its mandate.
He noted that the issue was “essentially gossip and slander” and that the Police Service has its own processes for dealing with such matters, but it was blown out of proportion.
However, he criticized the Committee Chair, Samuel Atta Akyea, for running proceedings “as if he was a law unto himself.”
He said although the Speaker of Parliament gave a specific mandate to the Committee members, the Akim Abuakwa South MP, did things to suit himself.
“The specific simple matter does not take rocket science to determine, and the Speaker said we should at least do our official job about this because of the important people involved; so do AB and C… Atta Akyea actually just proceeded to hold a court, a full court trial, and then proceed to invite every and all persons to make all manner of allegations,” Bentil said on JoyNews’ PM Express.
According to Bentil, “there was no fact to be established, which required the invitation of every and all persons to make all manner of spurious founded and unfounded allegations.”
“The point I’m making is, when a committee is set up by the Speaker with a clear mandate to make groundnut soup, you cannot expand the remit to include making any other soup,” he argued.
The committee has experienced significant internal conflict following the submission of its report to Parliament, which was not signed by the Chairman. All other seven members of the committee did sign the report.
JoyNews has learned that Samuel Atta Akyea disagrees with the findings and conclusions of the other members and had wanted the committee to invite more witnesses after allegations were made against the IGP, including claims that he supervised extra-judicial killings.
But the IGP has denied these allegations.
It is also understood that Samuel Atta Akyea plans to present his report to the House, detailing his reservations about the initial report. Additionally, he has denied authorising the report that has been laid before the House.