Ex-police chief John Kudalor was not “pushed out” of office by President Nana Akufo-Addo, Defence Minister-designate Dominic Nitiwul has said.

Mr Kudalor retired on Wednesday, 25 January. He bid farewell to the president at the Flagstaff House.

Subsequently, Mr Akufo-Addo named an acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), COP David Asante Apeatu.

Asked on Asempa FM’s Ekosii sen political talk programme if Mr Kudalor, who was appointed by President John Mahama in the immediate past administration, was forced to resign, Mr Nitiwul said the president was not in the business of “pushing anybody out.”

“He [Kudalor] was never pushed, he was on contract and his time was up. Nana has a fair, clean mind about individuals. He does not see political colours in individuals. Even if you are [an] NDC [member] and capable, he will work with you,” Mr Nitiwul added.

Announcing COP Asante Apeatu’s appointment, President Akufo-Addo said he intended to bring professionalism into the police service while getting rid of “harassment” by officers.

Roles held by the new IGP

• Director General Research & Planning of the Police service

• He was once the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

• In 2007 he was appointed Director of the Specialised Crime and Analysis (SCA) Unit at the INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon France.

Internationally, he had worked at the Sarajevo Police Academy as an Instructor in Human Dignity, Police Ethics and Criminal Investigations under the auspices of the United Nations Task Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1997 to 1998.

• He was the team leader in a successful homicide investigation under the request of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNAMIL).

• He is currently the team leader in the ongoing investigations into the mass murder of more than 50 people, mostly West African nationals, in The Gambia.

• In Ghana, he was the Lead Investigator in the serial killing of more than 30 women that led to the arrest of a culprit who had been prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to death.

• Under the supervision of Mr Asante-Apeatu and based on intelligence, the CID successfully conducted an operation that resulted in the seizure of 588 kilogrammes of cocaine with the street value of about $38 million.

Meanwhile, the interdicted Director General in charge of Human Resource Development at the Ghana Police Service, COP Patrick Timbillah has been fired in connection with the 2015 police recruitment scandal, ClassFMonline.com has learnt.

Even though Public Affairs Director of the Police Service, Supt. Cephas Arthur could not confirm that information when called, he said: “I suspect some communication may have been sent to him, but I cannot confirm the details.”

COP Timbillah’s sacking follows the completion of investigations into the scam in which he and a few other officers were implicated in March 2015 following which an internal service inquiry was started against him.

Immediately after his arrest and interdiction, David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, director general in charge of public affairs of the Ghana Police Service, told the media that investigations into the affair could be over in about a week, after which prosecutions would begin. It has, however, taken almost two years for the investigations and report to be ready.

Seven people were arrested by the police in connection with the scam.

They include two police officers Constable Ruth Agyiri, 27, of the Central Police Station in Koforidua, who allegedly swindled a victim of GHS1500, and Corporal Gideon Sarpong.

The others are a radio presenter of Silver Radio Amos Brown, 40, who, according to Ampah-Bennin, has taken various sums from over 40 persons to enlist them in the police service; Richard Harrison, 30, who lured others for over GHS4200, and a pastor Paul Danso.