Background
He was born on May 9, 1919, an Ewe, at Akagla, in the Volta region.
He was born on May 9, 1919, an Ewe, at Akagla, in the Volta region.
Educated at Presbyterian schools before going to Accra Accademy.
He then became a court interpreter at the Supreme Court in Accra and enlisted in the police force on May 1, 1940. He rose through the ranks becoming an inspector on November 1, 1952, being selected for training at the Metropolitan Police College, Hendon, in 1953. On his return to Ghana his promotion was fast, moving from assistant superintendent in 1953 to Inspector-General of Police on February 25, 1965.
Under Nkrumah he was head of the Special Branch. While investigating corruption among ministers and civil servants, he found that Nkrumah was himself tainted. This first made him think of a coup which he planned with the army officers. When the action took place on February 24, 1966, Hartley was taken into the soldiers' counsels. He emerged as Vice-President, no. 2 in the National Liberation Council. He adopted a tougher line than the other NLC members in his public speeches, on the need to root out subversion and corruption and end illegal strikes.
He also became responsible for the Internal Affairs portfolio from June 1966 to March 1967 and from February 1968 to April 1969, with a short spell as External Affairs Minister between. He retired from the police service in September 1969, immediately after the August elections had firmly established the government of Dr Busia. He remained as a member of the three man Presidential Commission until September 1970 when it was voluntarily disbanded on the appointment of a civilian President, Edward Akufo Addo. Though he was not a Busia supporter, the leaders of the second coup were looking for a younger team and thought it best not to ask him for help, but leave him in retirement.
At the time of the February 24, 1966 coup d'état that removed the Convention People's Party government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Mr. Harlley was the Inspector General of Police, making him the most senior police officer in the country. He was one of the eight members of the National Liberation Council government formed afterwards. He remained in his office as the head of the police force and in admission was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1967 and 1968. On September 3, 1969, a Presidential Commission was formed. Mr. Harlley was one of the three members of the commission. This commission remained in place even after the handover to the democratically elected Progress Party government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia. On August 7, 1970, the commission was replaced by an interim President, Nii Amaa Ollennu.