Azugu’s stay at the National Security bad for their image – Andy Kankam

Editor of the Informer Newspaper, Andy Kankam has expressed his surprise at the fact that DSP Samuel Kojo Azugu is still at post at the National Security Secretariat.

According to him, DSP Azugu’s continuous presence at the Secretariat regardless of various reports of misconduct is a dent in its (Secretariat) image.

His criticisms come on the back of the alleged assault on Citi FM’s journalist, Caleb Kudah, by National Security operatives.

Following an account by the journalist, on how he was manhandled by officers under the instruction of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Samuel Kojo Azugu, he questioned Azugu’s continued presence at the National Security office in spite of a recommendation by the Emile Short Commission that he should be reassigned.

The Commission’s recommendation was informed by the violence recorded during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election in 2019 under his watch.

Questioning the identity of 3 policemen withdrawn from the Secretariat after an investigation established that their conduct during the arrest of Caleb Kudah, “was inappropriate and contravened the standard operating procedures” of the ministry, Andy asked, “3 policemen have been withdrawn from the National Security and we don’t even know their names. Is Azugu part of these officers? Caleb said he was tortured right in front of Azugu. The same Azugu who asked to be reassigned after the Ayawaso incident. Why is he still at post?”

Andy Kankam posited that Azugu’s continuous stay at the National Security “is not helping its image. It is only spitting in the face of the Emile Short Commission’s report. The Commission submitted a report and sadly, it was not regarded.”

However, Andy also argues that the withdrawal of these 4 officers from the National Security is a typical example of “politicians using men in uniform as scapegoats.”

“Why should you hasten to fire these officers when you have only begun a preliminary investigation? Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman and the women and men in uniform should always be careful.

The Director of Operations at the National Security was taking orders from someone but at the end of the day, the man in uniform was sacrificed and the politician was allowed to go free,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.

Chiding Caleb for filming at a restricted area (National Security Secretariat), Andy said, “to whom much is given, much is expected”. To him, Caleb had no business going to the Secretariat but he still insists it was wrong for operatives of the National Security to have tortured him (Caleb).