It was not ¢36 billion - Bartels

... Inclusion of two journalists was an oversight
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Kwamena Bartels has admited that he engineered a project of sponsoring telephone facilities and internet broadband services procured by government for its sympathizers and loyalists.

He, however, disputed the ¢36 billion figure quoted by the newspaper, "The Insight", as having been spent on the project.

When the news first broke, i.e. before the supporting documents (see)were released by the press, the minister said "...Indeed, no money, not even a cedi, has been paid to Ghana Telecom for any such programme."

Bartels, who initially declined to comment and has refused to give the actual figure spent on the controversial program, explained that the listed beneficiaries were to help disseminate government policies and programmes and said the inclusion of the two journalists’ names in the list of the beneficiaries was an oversight.

According to Bartels, though the two journalists declined the offer, the telephone lines have been installed for some members on the list.

The listed beneficiaries included leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), such as the National Chairman Peter Mac Manu, the National Youth Organizer John Boadu and the former Mayor of Kumasi and MP for Amakom, Maxwell Kofi Djumah and Joe Hackman also an NPP MP.

The names of two newspaper editors, A. C. Ohene(Heritage) and Egbert Faibille(Ghanaan Observer) were also listed.

Mr. Faibille has denied any involvement in the said project.