Esseku Denies "Kickback" story

Mr Esseku has denied ever telling two reporters from The Enquirer that the NPP was financed by kickbacks from contractors.

?I am emphatic that I never said that the President had hijacked kickbacks. I did not say that the President was a budget officer or that the seat of government had been engaged in the corrupt odyssey of receiving kickbacks from the award of government contracts,?he said.

A statement signed by the NPP National Chairman said about four weeks ago, Mr Lord Commey, the National Organiser of the NPP, introduced two pressmen to him.

It said the two gentlemen wanted to interview him (Mr Esseku) at the office but he gave them directions to his house and when they came they introduced themselves as Messrs David Tamakloe and Raymond Archer, both from The Enquirer.

It said when they enquired about Mr Esseku's campaign for the chairmanship of the party and the problems facing it,?I told them that the party?s main problem was financing, which came substantially from prominent members and supporters of the party.

It has never been the policy of the NPP to finance itself from kickbacks.? ?I spoke to these persons who, as I have said earlier, had been introduced to me by Mr Commey, on the understanding that they genuinely wanted information which I had. It appears now that they have abused the privilege I gave them to interview me,? the statement said.

It said the publication in The Enquirer clearly calculated to damage the image of the President and the party and depict Mr Esseku as an enemy of the President.

It totally rejected the insinuation and said the last thing Mr Esseku would do was to disgrace and dishonour the President,whom he had known for many years and for whom he had the highest respect.