The Member of Parliament for Manhyia North has categorically denied recording and circulating a secret audio tape of Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
The said tape captures Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu lamenting about the misuse of party funds, in the lead up to the 2012 general elections.
The Minority Leader also the Member of Parliament for Suame has not disputed the secret recording which talks about the profligate expenditure of 2012 flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and his cronies. Among the contents of the tape was an assertion that 10 “boys” of Nana Addo spent a whopping $90,000 for 15 days lodging at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi, it also has it that an amount of $1.5 million was spent on vuvuzela’s for the party’s failed bid to win the Presidency in the disputed 2012 polls which resulted in a landmark petition by the New Patriotic Party.
A press release by a group known as the NPP for Victory 2016, fingered the Members of Parliament for Manhyia North and Asante Akim North, Collins Owusu Amankwah and Kwadwo Baah Agyeman as those who recorded their Leader and circulated it.
“It is really unfortunate such a harmless speech was recorded and deliberately doctored by Hon Collins Owusu Amankwah and Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyemang to misinform the public. After embarking on this divisive mission and realizing the harm caused, the above MPs sneaked secretly to our office to solicit for our help in apologizing to Hon. Kyei Mensah Bonsu,” the statement released on Thursday read.
The group further cautioned the “two MPs and anyone who has the intention to emulate their dubious acts to desist from it or prepare to face the consequences”.
Earlier the Asante Akim North MP, had granted an interview to Neat FM – from Canada where he is on a short visit – and expressed shock at the fact that he has been associated with the secret recording due to the fact that he had never been to any caucus meeting, where the Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu made those assertions, with regards to the opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2012 campaign funds.
“..I am very surprised as to why anyone would want to put this on me because I have never attended any caucus meeting and neither do I have any reason to secretly record the Minority Leader,” he said.
To Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, the accusations by the group fall flat in the face of the statements of the Minority Leader, who emphatically stated he made the statements during a Minority Caucus meeting and not in a Hotel in Kumasi, as the group wants the world to believe.
His colleague MP for Manhyia North who was fingered with him has also described the allegations as one from a faceless group and calculated to injure his hard won reputation.
“Let me state categorically without any fear or contradiction that those who have made this wild allegation, have not been able to come out now…….but I thank God that the Minority Leader has also come out to exonerate us that when he made those comments, we were not there, ” he said.
Speaking to Live News’ Ekow Annan, he expressed shock as to why he would be associated with the secret recording together with his colleague Asante Akim North MP, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang who has been out of the country for some time.
“I’ll only attribute it to sheer hatred, if not why should somebody be doing that to Honourable Members of Parliament. It’s very unfortunate. Even Kwadwo is not in the country, he’s still abroad so how come you make a statement that Kwadwo and I came to your office,” the Manhyia North Legislator said.
