P. V. Obeng Admits Error

In His Rejoinder And Submissions On Joy FM And Radio Gold On Reports That He Rendered Consultancy Services In Office

: Mr. Victor Paul Obeng, Presidential Advisor to ex-President Rawlings in his (Rawlings’) military junta era – the Provisional National Defense Council regime – and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, has admitted committing an error in his reaction to the “Weekend Crusading GUIDE’s publication of last Friday, July 20, 2007 (Vol. 4. No. 26, July 20 – 26, 2007). The publication was headlined: “THE SCANCEM Bribery Scandal I WORKED FOR MY MONEY – Says P.V. Obeng”.

Speaking to the Editor-In-Chief of The “Crusading GUIDE”, Kweku Baako Jnr., on Sunday, 29 July, 2007, via telephone from his London base, Mr. Obeng conceded that during his interview with Sedi Bansah, editor of the Weekend Crusading GUIDE on Thursday, July 19, 2007, he (P.V. Obeng) was unable to get over to him (Sedi) fully the answers to the questions that were posed to him because the line went off.

According to him, whilst he was still talking, he did not realize that the line had gone off.

Mr. Obeng said that was the reason why in his rejoinder and submissions on Joy FM and Radio Gold he made assertions that had debunked the Weekend Crusading GUIDE story on him.

He said he realized that he had made a mistake and that during the interview, he could not communicate to the Weekend Crusading GUIDE that he had provided consultancy services to SCANCEM AFTER HIS EXIT from government in December 1996. Interrupting Kwaku Baako during the conversation based on the confusion his submission had caused, P.V. Obeng said: “I think I made a mistake. I did not include that in the recording, I just realized it”.

“That is right! That is what is bringing the whole confusion”, said Baako. “I thought I was continuing with the message, but I realized that the line had cut so I thought I had said it. So I am prepared to accept that”, said Mr. Obeng.

He noted that, “if I had known that that part had not come, I would not have made that statement; I am very sorry about that”.

P.V., as he is affectionately called, said Baako could go ahead and say that subsequent to his statement, he (Baako) called and complained about his (P.V’s) statement/rejoinder that he told the paper that he had worked for and received monies from SCANCEM only after his exit from government in 1997. To this, he (P.V) “confirmed that I found that the line was cut and that part did not come on record”.

P.V. also agreed that during the interview with the paper, there was an understanding that, he was aware of the on-going court proceedings in Norway on the allegations, and he also conceded that he had said some foreign journalists had tried talking to him on the matter, but he declined to grant them the interview.

The Weekend Crusading GUIDE in its publication had said that Mr. Obeng, in an interview on the allegation made against him at a Norwegian court that he had received money from ex-SCANCEM officials, told the paper that though he received money, it was payment for consultancy services he had rendered the company.