Gagging Commanders Is Not International Practice – Kotin Replies IGP
The Executive Director, of Africa Center for Security and Counterterrorism, Emmanuel Kotin has waded into calls to decentralize information flow within the Ghana Police Service.
Former Director General, Operations of the Ghana Police Service, COP George Alex Mensah who appeared before the parliamentary committee to probe the leaked tape to oust the Inspector General of Police(IGP) alleged that in the IGP’s quest to gag the police service has centralized information flow.
The IGP, Mr George Akuffo Dampare in a rebuttal on the same platform indicated that centralizing information flow in the service is in accordance with international best practices.
However, Mr Kotin has strongly opposed the claim by the IGP that centralising information flow in the force is in tandem with international best practice.
Mr. Kotin contends that it is inimical and adverse to centralize information flow in the police force.
He noted that he has not seen anywhere in the world where information flow in the police force has been centralized.
He indicated that the bureaucratic nature of the centralization system is defeating the idea of community policing in the country.
“How can it be a case that an event will happen in a local community and the commander in the area cannot speak to the issues, it has to come to Accra before it can be disseminated,” Mr. Kotin quizzed.
The Executive Director charged the committee to look at other videos that has come up especially the video that seeks to purport that Bugri Naabu takes Gh¢10,000 from the police out of a contract.
He urged the committee to be interested in the source of the leaked tape.
“We should be able to trace the trail from where the leaked audio came up which will be significant to the work of the committee.
“In criminal jurisprudence, its proper that we put all evidence into perspective,” he said.
He advised the IGP to rather centralize intelligence system which he says is a matter of connecting information.
“It is intelligence he should’ve centralized and not information flow within the service.
Mr. Kotin said Ghana should engineer security sector reforms in all the security agencies.
He noted that a national committee of enquiry to investigate the matter is the best way to go as the parliamentary committee’s finding won’t go beyond the doors of parliament.