The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked the National Media Commission to investigate how a deputy minister allegedly promised to give financial rewards to some journalists.
A supposed secret tape recording making the rounds purports to capture Deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal promising cash and cars for some journalists in the Upper East region if they did government�s bidding.
The party�s Communications Director, Nana Akomea told Joy News the NMC must take the matter up to prevent government from manipulating the media.
�This is the government itself which is conducting this bribery so the government will not be keen on investigating itself so the media commission should be able to take up some kind of investigation because it�s a very serious matter,� he said.
Nana Akomea said the media is the fourth estate of the realm and �if government is using state money to bribe the media in this kind of blatant manner, it is a matter that should really deeply concern all of us.� Baba Jamal has denied the voice on the tape is his and has threatened he might seek redress in court.
But at a press conference Thursday morning, the NPP produced transcripts of a conversation they said was between Baba Jamal and some journalists and that that is proof the deputy Information Minister did make material and financial promises to journalists with the objective of courting favourable media coverage for the governing party.
Joy News' Fiifi Koomson, who was at the press conference reported Nana Akomea as saying the NPP will apologise if the tape is proven not to be credible. The Okai Koi South Member of Parliament however maintained he could vouch the voice on the tape is incontrovertibly Baba Jamal's.
Source: Joy News/Ghana
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