I didn’t pocket ‘$6m gift’ for EC staff ahead of 2016 poll – Kwakye Ofosu

A former Deputy Minister of Communication in the Mahama administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has denied claims he pocketed money meant for members of the Electoral Commission (EC).

He described such claims as “utter nonsense” in a statement issued in response to the claim.

There has been a suggestion that he received an amount of $12 million meant to be given to members of the EC ahead of the 2016 elections, but he pocketed half of the amount and gave the other half to the removed EC Chairperson Charlotte Osei, when he realized that the NDC was going to lose the elections.

Related: EC Commissioner sheds office secrets in leaked audio

Responding Mr Kwakye Ofosu said: “Folks, ignore the claims made by one Pauline Dadzawa, said to be one of the Commissioners at the Electoral Commission, that I kept part of money meant to be given to members of the Electoral Commission to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections.”

Below is a copy of the statement he issued on the matter

June 30, 2018.
For immediate release

STATEMENT ON CLAIMS BY PAULINE DADZAWA IN AUDIO RECORDING

My attention has been drawn to an audio recording making the rounds, in which a Commissioner at the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Mrs. Pauline Dadzawa, is heard saying that I took $6 million out of a supposed $12 million meant to bribe some members of the Electoral Commission to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections.

For the avoidance of doubt, the claims made by Mrs. Dadzawa are false, baseless, malicious and a figment of her obviously fertile imagination. At no time before, during or after the 2016 elections, was I given money by anyone for the purpose described by her.

I find it regrettable that despite her standing as a high-ranking official of an important constitutional body like the Electoral Commission of Ghana, she found it necessary to dabble in such petty and mischievous gossip. In the process she threw out complete fabrications in a manner that does harm to the reputations of innocent persons.

I am by this statement demanding an immediate retraction of the malicious claims by Mrs. Dadzawa, failing which my lawyers have standing instructions to commence legal action against her and all others who spread the falsehood she peddled in the tape.

I have also noted that some NPP activists, operating mostly from the Presidency, have splashed posts and pictures on social media that seek to use Mrs. Dadzawa’s falsehoods to justify yet another falsehood: that I was the subject of claims by former President Rawlings at this year’s June 4th event at Madina, that an official of the previous government had purchased two houses in Accra at $3 million.

While acknowledging that Mr. Rawlings did not mention my name or attribute the said house purchase to me in his speech, I wish to state that I have not bought any houses of the sort described by Mr. Rawlings.

It is a well-known strategy of the New Patriotic party to routinely target critical opponents with calumny and outright untruths. It is the same strategy that informed their fabrication of NIA cards in the name of some members of the Minority only for the NIA to issue denials of same.

I therefore urge members of the public to completely disregard these falsehoods and not fall prey to the handiwork of state-sponsored fake news peddlers.

FELIX KWAKYE OFOSU
(Former Deputy Minister for Communication)

Mr Kwakye Ofosu also posted this on Facebook

Folks, ignore the claims made by one Pauline Dadzawa ,said to be one of the Commissioners at the Electoral Commission, that I kept part of money meant to be given to members of the Electoral Commission to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections.

It is complete and utter nonsense.

At no point before, during or after that election was I given any money to give to anyone at the Electoral Commission.It is a matter of regret that a senior official of such an important body will find it necessary to dabble in such petty and irresponsible gossip and in the process harm the reputations of innocent persons.

She should be aware that her conduct makes her subject to any legal action I may consider.

I have also noted that some NPP lickspittles, most of whom are paid with your taxes to churn out outright lies about opponents from the Presidency , have sought to create the impression that Mr Rawlings mentioned my name when making claims that someone purchased two mansions at East Legon shortly after the 2016 elections,in his speech at this year's June 4th event.

Nowhere in Mr Rawlings' speech did he mention my name.

For context,it is the same bunch of state sponsored fake news peddlers who fabricated NIA cards and attributed them to some Minority MPs only to have it denied by the leadership of the NIA.

It makes for sad commentary indeed that it has become possible for the Presidency of this country,which should be hallowed ground and a place of serious work to be reduced to a staging post of the most scurrilous falsehoods.