CID Boss Should Have Been Sacked First

The actions and inactions of this government leave much to be desired. They will renege when it is in the interest of the public to act. They only act when they have some political gains out of that action. That is neither smooth governance nor fair and just political leadership. They have done it for some time, that one can now easily predict their actions and inactions. In the sacking of the IGP and the ensuing issues, some of us, who are discerning, just watch them and smile, and I will tell you why.

It is on public record that the security under the Nana led administration has been deteriorating under the watch of so many portfolios created in that sector. One of the possible causes of this insecurity situation is perhaps, the lack of coordination among the many security portfolios and secondly, the shift of focus of appointees from working towards improving the situation to engaging in actions to please their paymasters. There is no doubt that Asante Apeatu was simply an apologist of the president and his cohorts.

I say this without equivocation because the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election drama put to question the focus of high ranking security officials. The state-sponsored violence that was caused by a conglomerate of party militia groups and national security operatives would not have happened if we had serious leaders manning our security. The police vehicles that were used by the blood tasty goons were released by somebody. Who was in charge of the police? Not the interior minister and the IGP? We were told that they were not aware of the presence and usage of a police vehicle. Simply, they never sanctioned same. That was an instance of the indictment of the now-former IGP. I would not be surprised if the Emile Short Commission's report which is being hidden by the president, indict the IGP too.

Again, let us look at the handling of the Takoradi kidnapped girls. The police under the leadership of Asante Apeatus and the CID boss Maame Tiwaa Addo Dankwah demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they were overly incompetent. They engaged in a fray of deception to the detriment of the families of these missing girls. The CID boss is on record to have said that she knew the whereabouts of the girls and as we speak, the girls have not been rescued. That comment caused a stir in our public discourse because it raised issues of credibility and integrity of a sensitive institution like the Criminal Investigation Department. Many were those who thought the IGP and the CID boss would have been fired for putting the name of the Ghana Police Service into public disrepute but hey, the president never took any actions.

In addition, the higgledy piggledy surrounding the denial of Gregory Afoko a bail after a high court has directed same, was the work of Apeatu and Maame Tiwaa. These are people who have such authority of leadership because of the sacred laws of our land yet they disregarded a court ruling in that shameful manner. If they were/are not playing political games, why would they undermine the high court's directives? When you want to play such needless political games even in instances where common sense and logic could be of help, you end up calling yourself “useless.”

What is more worrying is the fact that the IGP and CID boss have, on three consecutive times, refused to appear in court on a bench warrant. Is that the practice in modern rule of law?

Now that there is a loud opprobrium from discerning citizens, civil society groups including international bodies against the disrespect for rule of law by the IGP and his surrogates, it is exposing the entire government particularly so when the President of the republic is described as human right activist. The accolade of the President has failed the credibility test. I am unable to preempt the legal process being activated by the loud call from citizens but there is no way that the IGP and the CID boss can go scot-free after disrespecting the court directives. The sacking of the IGP may be a lazy attempt to cover up from the obvious shame of the government. The sacking fits a certain political strategy to whitewash but that again, cannot help this government. The CID boss should have been fired first! Anybody who has been following the issues would agree with me.

When a certain Charles Bissue, who was the secretary to the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, was caught on camera by Anas in the famous galamsey expose, many thought that he would have been investigated further and prosecuted. Indeed, we are aware that it is the duty of the special prosecutor to investigate such and, possibly, prosecute. What did the CID do? They waited, as soon as the special prosecutor initiated steps to bring finality to the matter, they hurriedly cleared Charles Bissue. Isn’t this interesting? Well, that has been the modus operandi of the CID under Maame Tiwaa. She keeps clearing those who are caught in corrupt deals. The Australia visa scandal and the Jubillee house bribery and corruption allegations where A Plus alleged that certain “big fishes” in the presidency were busily making money from those who wanted to see the president, are still fresh for easy memory. You would recall that Tiwaa was caught on tape pleading with A Plus to help the cover up process. She denied the tape and nobody investigated it but there was another tape allegedly coming from the chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Hon. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and the same hypocritical CID boss is using the tape to harass him. Where is the fairness of this political appendage? In all of these that woman still remains at post and even thinking of becoming the next Inspector General of Police.

Now, what happens is that the Acting Inspector General of Police will continue to work for some politicians in an attempt to please the ruling class for a possible substantive appointment even though he has few months into retirement.

Why will people not lose confidence in the Ghana Police Service when the political undertone there is too conspicuous?

Denis Andaban

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