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General News of Saturday, 13 December 2008

Source: True Democrat

NPP Spent $48 Million On Campaign

Intelligence gathered by the True Democrat has it that the NPP campaign team blew a staggering $48.8 million on the December 7, 2008 elections. The sources of these monies have been traced to massive injection of drug money, organized and directed by some high profile members in the NPP government and some NPP Members of Parliament. The other disturbing news is that the contingency fund, using national security and the Office of the Chief of Staff, was also depleted as a result of massive withdrawals to fund the NPP campaign.

Figures sighted by our intelligence based on monies released by the Controller and Accountant-General showed that between October and November alone, the quantum of funds withdrawn by the Office of the Chief of Staff and National Security Secretariat was Staggering. The monies withdrawn and monitored by the intelligence showed that they were diverted into the NPP campaign. The massive diversion of the funds to oil the campaign created some operational difficulties for National Security. What is even strange is the huge dose of funds also released to the Research Department under the guise of building a monument and some bogus foreign operations. The greater part of these funds found their way back into the campaign war chest of the NPP.

The hunger to cling to political power was so high that the Office of the Chief of Staff, the intelligence said, was virtually turned into the campaign headquarters of the NPP. Monies in sacks were doled out without keeping any proper records. In addition to the splashing of cash to win the elections by hook or crook methods, some monies, basically meant for the security secretariat has been hijacked by the Chief of Staff, who was dishing them out to the Akufo-Addo field staff without blinking. Part of the funds, we are reliably informed, has been diverted into individual pockets.

While the sources of funding has been reported to be even higher due to the syndicated funds allegedly channeled through Databank Financial Services headed by Ken Ofori Atta, the almost $49million figure as it stands is not only intimidating but an insult to the intelligence of the poor people of Ghana. The campaign figures leaked from the camp of Ken Ofori Atta of Databank confirmed the monies blown on the campaign. True Democrat sources, who cross-checked the figures provided by intelligence added that their reconnaissance of Databank painted a gloomy picture of huge losses from the election. Judging from the funds injected from the campaign and those syndicated from financial hubs in South Africa, United Kingdom and Equatorial Guinea among others, the loss is highly incalculable. Dejection and disbelief was clearly written on the faces of some of the financial brokers who helped in syndicating funds for the Akufo Addo campaign when Afari Djan announced the results.

At National Security for example, the fear factor of being held responsible for certain withdrawals very close to the elections is causing sleepless nights for the security chiefs. So huge were the monies channeled through National Security that those with some conscience are already complaining in the quiet to their wives and close relatives about their inability to win the December 7 elections. According to True Democrat intelligence, one of the topmost security chiefs at the National Security Secretariat (Blue Gate) openly boasted to his friends that based on the quantum of money released into the NPP campaign and the work they have done on the ground, there is no way the NDC can win the elections. The results of the first round of voting, the intelligence noted, has demoralized him resulting in his being panicky to commit himself to new withdrawals.

The intelligence disclosed to the paper, the sighting of the movement of some known drug lords around the NPP campaign headquarters as the results trickle in. They were said to be edgy and openly agitated for everything possible under the sun to be done to declare their man, Akufo-Addo as the winner.. It is within this context of pressure that a drug baron was said to have released $5million to be used to compromise officials in the data entry room of the Electoral Commission (EC) to massage the figures in order to give them victory. Strenuous and daring attempts were actually made by the NPP team to enter those offices to push through the agenda but were check-mated by the NDC surveillance team. More Anon