The flag bearers of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, and that of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga respectively, have given different reactions to the Daily Graphic report that they have been invited by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to explain their sources of campaign funds.
While Dr Nduom has denied receiving any invitation from EOCO asking him to declare his source of funding for his political activities, Mr Ayariga says he had a letter from EOCO over his campaign funds.
In response to the letter, Mr Ayariga said, he went to EOCO yesterday to have a meeting with the officials.
In his reaction to the Daily Graphic report that EOCO?had written to him to explain the sources of his campaign funds, Dr Nduom denied receiving any letter or even a call from EOCO to explain his sources of campaign funds.
“The only time I heard about EOCO and me was when I saw the headline in the Daily Graphic,” he said.
The Daily Graphic reported yesterday that the troubles of two disqualified presidential aspirants were far from over following an invitation to them by EOCO to explain the sources of their incomes for political campaigns.
The EOCO wanted Mr Ayariga and Dr Nduom to confirm, in writing, the sources of their incomes.
They were given up to Wednesday, October 26, 2016 to respond to the request.
The EOCO letter, a copy of which is available to the Daily Graphic, was dated October 21, 2016 and signed by its Executive Director, Mr Justice A. Tsar.
The letter was triggered by public announcements by Mr Ayariga to the effect that he had expended $6 million on his campaign.
Dr Nduom, on the other hand, is being asked to explain the source of the GH¢1,750,000 that he paid for himself and the parliamentary candidates of the PPP.
Touching on the payment of the filing fees as alleged to have been paid by him, Dr Nduom said it was unfair and bizarre that he would be asked to answer for that when the PPP, as a political party, had a national treasurer whose mandate was to handle all financial issues of the party.
“I did not pay filing fees for anyone. If there are any questions about that, then there is a national treasurer who should answer them and not me,” he said.
Advocates of the Political Parties Law
Dr Nduom said the country could only make progress when law and order worked, adding that it was for that matter that the PPP and he had become advocates of strict compliance with the Political Parties Law by all political parties.
That law, he said, stipulated that six months before every general election, political parties ought to provide the EC with audited statements of accounts detailing all receipts and expenditure.
The PPP, he said, had done that religiously over the period and would wonder why EOCO would be looking for him.
In any case, he said, if EOCO was looking for him, it would know where and how to find him, since he had a residence and an office and had also been moving around campaigning.
Wanted criminal
“But it beats my imagination why they would be looking for me and instead of trying to locate me or even the party, you decide to put it in the media to make me appear as a wanted criminal on the run,” he said.
On the issue of the receipt from the EC, he said the party had taken it to the Auditor-General’s Department for it to investigate to ensure that there was no revenue loss to the state.
Being a student of international politics and history, he said, the development would surely cast a slur on state institutions and personalities, but he was unpleasantly surprised at the turn of events.
“I am really, really sad today. I have decided to invest my resources and time to serve my country and if this is the kind of payback that I should get, then it is really unfortunate,” Dr Nduom said.
GN Bank reacts
In a related development, the management of the GN Bank has said the publication gave an impression that the bank had financed Dr Nduom and his party with GH¢1,750,000.
A letter signed by the Managing Director of the bank, Mr Issah Adam, said: “We wish to state that GN Bank has not financed the PPP presidential and parliamentary candidates with such an amount. We wish to add that the PPP and Dr Nduom have accounts with the bank as customers of the bank. The GH¢1,750,000 in question was paid in accordance with the PPP National Treasurer’s express instruction to pay to the EC of Ghana.”
Ayariga at EOCO
For his part, Mr Ayariga said he had reported himself to the EOCO over his campaign funds.
As he emerged from the offices of EOCO, he said as a law-abiding citizen, he believed in the rule of law and was ready to abide by any order from government institutions, including EOCO.
He said during the meeting with EOCO, it came to light that he was to reply to the letter on campaign funds from EOCO.
Mr Ayariga said he was ready to reply the letter by today, saying as the ‘incoming President’, he respected all government institutions.
He added that the meeting had been cordial and EOCO officials had been happy to see him and for attaching seriousness to the invitation from EOCO to explain the sources of his $6 million campaign funds.
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