We're not surprised retired COP Mensah wants to be MP – Bono East NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is not surprising that retired police officer, COP Alex Mensah is aspiring to become a Member of Parliament for Asante Bekwai.

They cited his alleged involvement with NPP affiliates in the Techiman South Constituency of the Bono Region during the 2020 elections as a point of contention.

Mr Suleman Mustapha Mohammed, the NDC's Bono East Regional Communication Officer, asserted that COP Mensah should not be absolved of responsibility for the unfortunate deaths of some innocent NDC youth during the declaration of parliamentary results in the region.

He stated that now that COP Mensah is venturing into mainstream politics, they will treat him as such.

Mr Mohammed argued that security officers with COP Mensah's mindset were in charge during the previous elections, which led to the unnecessary loss of lives.

He stressed his personal involvement, having served as Deputy Youth Organiser for the Techiman South Constituency before rising to become the Regional Communications Officer, and he placed blame on the security officers for the tragic events involving NDC youth.

He noted that the violence that occurred on December 8 should have been limited to clashes between the NPP and the NDC, but instead, security forces were involved, leading to harm to innocent party supporters.

Mr. Mohammed claimed to be well aware of the security dynamics during the declaration of parliamentary results.

Expressing concern, he questioned how a serving police officer with the rank of COP could openly declare sympathy for the governing NPP during the parliamentary ad-hoc committee's hearing, given the sensitive nature of their profession.

He alleged that officers like COP Mensah had been unfairly promoted within the service to further the party's agenda, accusing the retired officer of allowing politics to overshadow his professionalism.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Alex George Mensah officially announced his candidacy for the Asante Bekwai parliamentary seat in the upcoming general elections. COP Mensah, who recently retired from the Ghana Police Service, revealed his long-standing ambition to enter parliament, believing that the time has come to pursue this goal.

During an interview with Angel TV on September 17, 2023, COP Mensah confirmed his intention to run for office. Although he did not specify the political party ticket under which he would be contesting, he indicated that his family has ties to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

COP Mensah gained public attention when he was allegedly involved in a leaked tape scandal, which appeared to depict discussions about removing the current Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Subsequently, he appeared before a bipartisan parliamentary ad-hoc committee to defend his actions and criticise the IGP for what he perceived as mismanagement and information restrictions within the police service.

As COP Mensah embarks on his retirement from the Ghana Police Service, he has received numerous congratulatory messages.

His scheduled appearance before the parliamentary committee investigating the leaked tape is set for October 2, 2023.

-Classfmonline