Voice On Tape “Like Mine”, But Akufo-Addo Didn’t Buy Me - Amin Anta

Former Municipal Chief Executive for Tamale, Dr Muhammed Amin Anta, has, denied claims from the camp of Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten that he was given US$5000 to declare support for two-time NPP Presidential hopeful, Nana Akufo-Addo, in the party’s upcoming presidential primaries.

The former MCE is captured in a secret audio tape that has gone viral on social media concerning a conversation he purportedly had about Nana Akufo-Addo.

Interestingly, the audio tape started circulating days after Amin Anta declared support for Akufo-Addo against former Minister of Trade and Industries, Alan Kyerematen, whom he supported in previous races.

Nana Ohene Ntow, Spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen, one of the three persons vying for the flagbearership slot, strongly asserted that there is empirical evidence to confirm his suspicions over the sudden declaration of support for the former foreign affairs minister by the former Tamale MCE.

“I am surprised that people are rather turning around accusing Alan of vote-buying. Why are people not talking about instance where people have confessed to receiving 5000 dollars to declare support for Akufo-Addo.

“Amin Anta said on a tape that he was given 5000 dollars to support Nana Addo and it's public,” the former General Secretary of the main opposition party told Radio XYZ, Tuesday.

But in a statement he issued and signed, Amin Anta admitted that “the voice is like mine and I might have made such statements in a private conversation”.

He however refuted claims that he was induced financially by Nana Addo to throw his support behind him in the flagbearership race adding that he is “surprised” contents of the tape are being used to “doubt my credibility and support” for Nana Addo.

“I would like to put on record however that Nana Addo did not offer me money to induce me to support his candidature. As I am supposed to have said on the tape, I did not need the said money because I am well paid. I have told many people how generous Nana Addo is, by citing how he offered me money for an energy programme my team worked on at his request, and when I refused he said it was from his heart. He insisted if I did not need it, my team members would. This happened before the Supreme Court Petition; and could not have been related to the current contest in the party,” he said.


Below is the full statement from Mohammed Amin Anta

My attention has been drawn to a tape recording on which I was engaged in conversations with another person in relation to the internal politics of the NPP.

On the said tape, I am heard saying that Nana Addo surprised me with US$5,000, offered me three positions to choose from and that I was following the crowd and would therefore not openly campaign for him.

I have listened to the tape carefully and concluded that the voice is like mine and I might have made such statements in a private conversation.

I would like to put on record however that Nana Addo did not offer me money to induce me to support his candidature. As I am supposed to have said on the tape, I did not need the said money because I am well paid. I have told many people how generous Nana Addo is, by citing how he offered me money for an energy program my team worked on at his request, and when I refused he said it was from his heart. He insisted if I did not need it, my team members would. This happened before the Supreme Court Petition; and could not have been related to the current contest in the party.

Also, everybody in the NPP knows that I did not support Nana Addo in previous internal elections and I did believe that the party needed to do more work for him to win the general elections including the 2016 elections.

However, I have studied and worked with Nana Addo closely for some time now and came to the realisation that he is the right person to lead the NPP. Therefore contrary to the content of the tape that I would not campaign openly for him, I recently declared my support to him openly in Tamale and in addition toured more than 10 constituencies in Dagbon to campaign openly for him with my own resources.

I am therefore surprised that the said tape is being used to doubt my credibility and support for Nana Addo.

I would like to state that my support for Nana Akufo Addo is unconditional; and I will continue to work with him to ensure victory for him.


Signed

Mohammed Amin Anta/ Washington D.C; - 14th October, 2014.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana