<<Print>>

Government says it has directed the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security outfit to immediately open investigations into recent allegations by the main opposition party that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has bribed some journalists to propagate and embellish stories that would seek to champion the cause of government. At a press conference on Monday August 8, the Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah, described the NPP�s allegation as an �insulting prank� and said an investigation will help clear the minds of Ghanaians. The Deputy Minister categorically denied the allegation against his colleague minister, Baba Jamal whose voice is alleged to have been tapped, asking the journalists to propagate government agenda for a fee. According to Okudzeto Ablakwah, the hasty conclusion and the quick reaction by the NPP to hold a press conference on the mystery tape is �shameful and despicable.� The New Patriotic Party at a press conference on Thursday August 4, 2011, unveiled a list of 15 names of journalists in the Upper East region allegedly offered inducements to skew stories to favour government. The journalists were said to have been offered employment on the National Youth Employment Programme, with accounts already opened for them, in order to hide the source of the inducement. A copy of an employment letter, was also offered. The offer was said to have made by deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal. Seeking to show the inconsistencies in the evidence adduced by the NPP, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwah asked: �Which bank did those accounts numbers belong to, how is it possible for two journalists to have the same account number, how come journalists on the NPP�s bribe list are not corroborating the claim, where, when and what time did the so called bribe meeting occur, which journalists were in this meeting and how come it is so difficult to find one journalist to confirm that they were in such a meeting. �What kind of morally bankrupt government, even intending to bribe journalists, would leave a paper trail by wanting it documented with NYEP letters and paying through the banks for even easier exposure? What journalist would agree to receive a monthly bribe of 160 Ghana cedis through bank accounts with their names and signatures, how does bribing stringers or correspondents necessarily compromise their entire media organization to do the bidding of government? �Why would the NPP imagine that the IGP and the Ghana Police Service and the Electoral Commission would allow themselves to be bribed and receive 160 Ghana cedis a month? Never in our history has a political party thought so low of a government� he added. Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwah called on the NPP to as a matter of urgency apologize to the people of Ghana and the journalists indicted in the concocted material and retract the allegations forthwith. He also asked the various Media Houses across the country to desist from airing the said audiotape purportedly containing the voice of Mr Baba Jamal since no concrete evidence has been provided by the NPP. He added that government would never seek to bribe journalists.