General News of Sunday, 10 November 2013

Source: XYZ

I never hired Quayeson to record Vicky - Ayitey Basty

Ayitey Basty, the gentleman accused by Victoria Hammah’s Driver-Cousin of being the conduit through whom Deputy Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Rachel Appoh, allegedly had the fired Deputy Communications Minister’s private conversations recorded, has denied the charge.

Hammah’s Driver, Lawrence Quayeson, told XYZ News in an exclusive interview that Rachel Appoh put him up to the sleuthing assignment through Basty, whom Quayeson claimed was fired by the dismissed Deputy Communications Minister.

According to Quayeson, Basty fell out with Hammah after his job as a personal assistant was terminated.

Basty has, however, distanced himself from the allegation.

“I have never asked anybody to record voice[s] for me. In fact, I had my share of a voice recording upon which I took [a] decision to quit immediately”, he wrote on his facebook wall.

He also denied claims by Quayeson that Victoria Hammah sacked him.

“Let me also put on record, Victoria Hamah never sacked me. I quit. Let her quote me anywhere that, to date, whether I have communicated to her that, am no more working with her. In fact, I was told about a comment she made about me and immediately, I called, wanted to question her about that, but she did not answer. Ever since I left the office, find out from her whether she has called me”, Basty said.

He said: “I want to make it clear here and now; I stopped working with Victoria Hamah, more than a month be4 this said tape. I am informed that, the tape was recorded on last week Friday. Last week Friday, I was not in Accra. I return[ed] to Accra on Sunday evening and there are people who will bear me out. I will advice people to seek the facts of the matter before coming out with publications which are not true”.

According to him, “I have personal issues with Victoria, but no one should associate me to this leaked tape”.

Basty also deplored what he described as the “insults and name calling” hurled at him on both social and traditional media over the saga.