A-Plus leaked tape: ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah responds

The corruption allegations against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff by musician Kwame Asare Darko, popularly known as A-Plus, has been revived following the leakage of an audio, said to be a telephone conversation between A-Plus and a senior police officer, who was involved in the investigations.

The voices on the leaked audio is said to be that of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, who is the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and A-Plus, who is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Leaked audio

The audio purports to portray that the police covered up the corruption allegations for the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Messrs Francis Asenso-Boakye and Samuel Abu Jinapor, during the investigations.

Both A-Plus and ACP Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah have since responded to the leaked audio, with A-Plus admitting that is his voice, but denied that he was the one behind the recording and its circulation.

ACP Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah on her part has also admitted having a number of telephone conversations with A-Plus in connection with the investigation but has insisted that the audio has been doctored with the aim to tarnish her image.

Contradiction on audio

From the conversation on the leaked audio, A-Plus and the female investigator contradicts the contents of the final report as the officer was heard asking A-Plus to amend his official written statement and deny that he alleged the two government officials were thieves.

The female voice said: “as for the corruption aspect of it, from what you said and what we’ve gone to confirm, you wouldn’t be too far from right to say that this is what happened, but we need to manage… the people are your people. We need to find the best way to ensure that Korle Bu works the way we all want it to work.”

“I feel sad for Nana, I think he has good intentions but he is not going to achieve them. You need somebody who’ll be neutral to tell them exactly what is there for them to understand and I wish I could have an audience with the President himself. Because it looks like most of the things doesn’t get to him…yes I feel sad for him.”

A Plus on the other side, said he has achieved his aim. “For me I think I have achieved my aim.”

Statement

In a statement signed and issued Thursday, ACP Tiwaa Addo-Danquah said the A-PIus corruption allegations were thoroughly investigated by a team of four senior detectives, headed by the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police, Mr Bright Oduro of which she was a member.

She said in the course of the investigations, she had series of discussions relating to the subject matter with A-Plus, some of which were via telephone and that of particular significance amongst others, was her insistence for him to document his denial of the thievery allegation against the government officials by coming back to give a further statement.

She said A-Plus however failed to report back to document his denial of the thievery allegation even though he had categorically stated in his verbal narration.

Denial

“I wish to categorically and emphatically state that I have never intimated to A-Plus, in any conversation whatsoever, that I believe that his allegation of corruption against the two Senior Government Officials had been confirmed following our investigations,” she added.

“I. certainly. I could not possibly had come to that conclusion when at the time I spoke to him. A-Plus, whilst insisting that he documents his denial of thievery against the two, the investigative team had not had the benefit of a response from the two appointees,” she stated.

Explaining, ACP Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah stated: “I have listened to the purported telephone conversation between myself and A- Plus many times and it is very obvious that my conversation with him has been doctored and/or edited to achieve a deliberate, mischievous and evil purpose.”

Doctored

She maintained that much of the content of the said tape is a total fabrication and a figment of the author’s imagination, adding that he mischievously picked some aspects of her voice in a later conversation she had with him when the report was released.

“Significantly, it is imperative to indicate that the said telephone conversation that has been doctored or edited lasted for 56 seconds. It should be clear to discerning Ghanaians that the said mischievous recording lasted for over 5 minutes,” she stated

The police investigator said after the report was released on Monday September 18, 2017, A Plus called on her Tuesday September 19 to disagree with the findings and after that he sent her a text message and threatened to put her voice in the public domain because the team had insulted him by saying the allegation was baseless.

“I was and remains fully in agreement with the conclusions reached by the investigative team which is that the allegations of corruption levelled against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff were completely baseless and without merit and also lacked credibility.”

“Indeed the accuser provided no evidence at all to back his allegations and the investigative panel found no wrongdoing. His statement to the Police as well as the investigative report evidences this conclusion beyond doubt. The foregoing are the bare facts relating to my dealings with the accuser.”

“I feel pained by this calculated and dastardly attempt to soil my reputation and I condemn same in no terms. In spite of this to distract me from my work, I remain a committed Police Officer who will fight and expose crime wherever I find it and regardless of who is involved.”

A-Plus

On his part, A-Plus did not take the accusation by ACP Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah that he was the one behind doctoring the audio lightly and said it was inappropriate for her to make such an allegation without providing evidence.

On the allegations that he threatened to put her voice in the public domain after the report had been released. A-Plus said it was not true and that it was the police investigator who indicated she was aware that A-Plus had recorded all their conversations.

She asked ACP Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah to institute an action if she was convinced that the audio had been doctored and that she could obtain the true recording from the telecom companies.

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh

Follow @enochfrimpong

Read her full statement below

PRESS RELEASE TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES 
RE-PURPORTFD TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN A SENIOR OFFICER AND KWAME ASARE. DARKO @ A-PI.US

1. My attention has been drawn to a purported telephone conversation between a supposed Senior Police Officer and Kwame Asare Darko @ A-Plus in respect of investigation of allegations made by him against the 2 Deputy Chiefs of Staff. Further, my picture and a voice recording purporting to be mine have also been associated with the said conversation. For the records, the unequivocal Facts are as Follows:

2. The A-PIus corruption allegations were thoroughly investigated by a team of four senior detectives, headed by the Director-General of the Criminal investigations Department (CID), of which I was a member.

3. In the course of the investigations. I had series of discussions relating to the subject matter with A-Plus, some of which were via telephone.

4. Of particular significance. amongst others, was my insistence for him to
document his denial of the thievery allegation against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff by coming back to give a further statement. He however failed to report back to document his denial of the thievery allegation even though he had categorically stated in his verbal narration.

5. I wish to categorically and emphatically state that I have never intimated to A-Plus,in any conversation whatsoever, that I believe that his allegation of corruption against the two Senior Government Officials had been confirmed following our investigations.

6. I. certainly. I could not possibly had come to that conclusion when at the time I spoke to he. A-Plus, whilst insisting that he documents his denial of thievery against the two, the investigative team had not had the benefit of a response from the two appointees.

7. I have listened to the purported telephone conversation between myself and A- Plus many times and it is very obvious that my conversation with him has been doctored and/or edited to achieve a deliberate, mischievous and evil purpose.

Much of the content of the said tape is a total fabrication and a figment of the author’s imagination. He mischievously picked some aspect of my voice in a later conversation I had with him when the report was released. Significantly, it is imperative to indicate that the said telephone conversation that has been doctored or edited lasted for 56 seconds. It should be clear to discerning Ghanaians that the said mischievous recording lasted for over 5 minutes.

8. After the report was released on Monday 18“' September 2017, A Plus called on me Tuesday 19th September to disagree with our findings. After that he sent me a text message and threatened to put my voice in the public domain because the team had insulted him by saying the allegation was baseless.

9. I was and remains fully in agreement with the conclusions reached by the investigative team which is that the allegations of corruption levelled against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff were completely baseless and without merit and also lacked credibility. Indeed the accuser provided no evidence at all to back his allegations and the investigative panel found no wrongdoing. His statement to the Police as well as the investigative report evidences this conclusion beyond doubt. The foregoing are the bare facts relating to my dealings with the accuser.

10. I feel pained by this calculated and dastardly attempt to soil my reputation and 1 condemn same in no terms. In spite of this to distract me from my work, I remain a committed Police Officer who will fight and expose crime wherever I find it and regardless of who is involved.

MAAME YAA TIWAA ADDO-DANQUAH (MRS)

Assistant Commissioner of Police Deputy Director-General/CID