Anti Corruption Crusader Unhappy With Police Promotiing Maame Tiwaa

Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem, has described the promotion of ACP Maame Tiwaa Addo Danquah as the acting Director General of the Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID), as a worrying development in the fight against corruption in the country.

ACP Addo-Danquah replaced DCOP Bright Oduro , who was relieved of his post after just nine months in charge of the CID.

The move has generated widespread dissent from many Ghanaians following recent unresolved claims linking the new CID boss to an alleged cover-up of malfeasances in the probe of the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Speaking in an interview with Citi News, Vitus Azeem, who is the Chairman of Tax Justice Coalition, said that the decision to promote ACP Addo-Danquah despite the questions that still linger over her connection to the recent corruption investigations, could mar the public’s perception on the government’s stance on corruption.

He called on the President to reconsider the decision as it could have negative implications for his commitment to fighting corruption in the country.

“That is cause for concern, it's worrying; especially coming from the President who has pledged to Ghanaians that he is going to fight corruption. It's definitely a worry,” Vitus Azeem said.

“It's an indication of the President's determination to fight corruption that it is an issue of verbal pronouncement without action. I think this is a very serious issue that should have been investigated. If the President voluntarily asks the CID to investigate the initial allegations and the public had expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, one would have expected the President to do something about it. I think the President should take a second look at what he has done otherwise the politicians will have their way and that is the unfortunate part of the fight against corruption in this country.”

ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah
According to Mr Azeem, an internal probe by the police was necessary to clear any doubts that still exist about the police’s handling of the investigation, which might taint future enquiries.

He also reiterated his call for the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to take up the issue in order for the case to see a satisfactory resolution.

“The [best] would have been for CHRAJ to come in and investigate the matter. We haven't heard of CHRAJ taking up the matter to investigate it, so it creates a dead end. The politicians have seen Ghanaians as people that will make noise for about a week on air and forget about it. Then they'll be okay to do what they normally do,” Azeem added.

“I had called on the police administration to do an internal investigation and come out with something that will meet the expectations of the public, but this has not happened. We assume that once no one is talking about it, that's okay. But these are things that are being listed against the government and the police hierarchy. Imagine that next time, as head of the CID, if she investigates issues and people raise issues about partisanship and other things, definitely it will have an effect on the work of the entire police service.”

Kwame Asare Obeng a.k.a A-Plus
Doctored or not?
ACP Addo-Danquah, was recently in the news after being accused by Kwame Asare Obeng, also known as A-Plus, of trying to cover-up some malfeasance in the probe of President Akufo-Addo's two Deputy Chiefs of Staff.

In an audio said to be a leaked recording of a conversation between A-Plus and ACP Addo-Danquah, the police officer was heard advising the A-Plus to deny the allegations because he is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Police officer was largely accused of misconduct in the manner she handled the investigation, per the details of the telephone conversation that appeared unprofessional and compromised.

She later claimed that the tape was doctored to portray her in a bad light, a claim A-Plus denied.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana