The votes buying allegations made by some aspirants, particularly Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, in the special delegates’ conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been treated by the General Secretary of the party as hearsays.
Justin Kodua Frimpong says allegations should be backed by evidence and since those who made the claims couldn’t substantiate them, they cannot be admitted as a fact that characterised the August 26 internal polls of the elephant family.
Speaking Sunday, October 29, 2023, on Hot Issues on TV3, Mr Kodua pointed out that there was no way he could have gone around asking every delegate for evidence of the supposed monies that was claimed to have been paid. But rather, he who alleged should have proven.
“At the end of the day, when people make allegations, they should be backed by evidence. Of course, if you make allegations without evidence. So, I should be going around asking delegates “how much did someone give to you? How much did you take from another person?” he quizzed host, Keminni Amanor.
He continued that none of those that made the allegations was able to file an official complaint to the party and the leadership couldn’t have acted on hearsays.
“At the end of the day, there is a difference between making a statement out there and also officially presenting it before the party. Has the party receive any petition to that effect, which is no. so if the party has not received any petition, and certain statements are made, I will consider them maybe part of political strategy.
When asked by the host that: Are you considering them hearsays? He responded “definitely so.”
Reacting to a related development from a former flag bearer of the party, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng on party communicators tasked to vilify him for some names he included in a report he authored as Chairman of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, he said until any evidence was given to substantiate the claims, he could not comment on it.
“He can provide evidence to buttress what he has claimed, then I can speak to it. I was not called or instructed, none of the national executives have been instructed to go A or go B and I consider it as a derogatory statement against the party. It is high time that when certain pronouncements are made, you journalists also ask them to prove,” he asked.
“If some names had been mentioned, it would made it easy for us to trace even without a name but if you made that simplistic statement that I was told, by who?” he quizzed in addition.
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