Evening news story is criminal- Pele

Accra, Nov. 21, GNA- Mr. Abuga Pele, Member of Parliament (MP) for NDC-Chiana/Paga, on Friday described a story in the November 7, 2003 issue of the Evening News, a Ghanaian daily, which suggested that his constituents have disowned him on the basis of incompetence, as criminal.

He said the story alleged to have been sourced from a group of people calling themselves the Chiana/Paga East and signed by Albert Asorigiyah, a spokesman of the group alleged that Mr. Pele does not contribute during debates in parliament, had initiated no projects in his seven years as an MP and has misused his share of the Common Fund.

The MP mentioned alleged accomplices as source of information in the story as Francis Atayure Abingo, the District Chief Executive of Kassena Nankana and a member of the Council of State.

Mr. Pele said there was enough evidence available to him, indicating that the story was concocted by the reporter, Mr. A. A. Mbord, the regional correspondent of the News Times Corporation, publishers of the Evening news, adding that he would deal with the paper at the appropriate time.

Speaking to the parliamentary press corps he said "the story and its architects have impersonated the so-called spokesman and have therefore committed a serious crime, which would be dealt with later upon advice by leadership of the NDC in Parliament."

Mr. Pele provided two separate letters one dated November 18 2003, written and signed by Mr. Asorigiyah, the supposed spokesman, in which he denied ever speaking to Mr. Mbord.

Mr. Asorigiyah dissociated himself from the story, demanded a retraction and an unqualified apology and threatened to sue the newspaper and the writer of the story for dragging his name in the mud.

"I do not share the same political divide with Mr Pele Abuga but I do not seek to win cheap political points over him by engaging in this type of propaganda," the letter stated.

Mr Pele condemned the second letter dated November 16, 2003, was in the form of a resolution written by the East Zone Executive of the NDC, with Albert Asorigiyah as one of the signatories, and stated that there was no such group as Chiana/Paga East in the area.

On the resolution the MP said the NDC Executive described the story as a figment of imagination of the reporter, and fabricated by the paper to throw dust into the eyes of the public and tarnish the hard won image of Mr. Pele.

The Executive called on the paper to apologise to Mr. Asorigiyah and Mr. Pele and also come out with the names of members of the so-called Chiana/Paga East to whom the story was attributed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pele said he was still conducting investigations to ascertain the involvement or otherwise of the DCE of Kassena Nankana and the member of Council of State mentioned in the story.

"I will take the necessary action against whoever is confirmed party to this malicious act against me," he said. "This kind of practice defies the ethics of journalism and I call on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to take action on this matter", Mr Pele said.