General News of Thursday, 29 June 2017

Source: Peter Otukonor

RE: Fred Agbenyo accused of pocketing GHC17.8 billion campaign cash

NDC Deputy Communications Officer, Fred K. Agbenyo NDC Deputy Communications Officer, Fred K. Agbenyo

Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred K. Agbenyo, has issued a rejoinder in relation to a news story regarding an alleged pocketing of the party's campaign cash, amounting to GHC 17.8 million.

In the rejoinder, Mr. Agbenyo categorically stated that the news was false and a product of malice, and should regarded as such.

Read the rejoinder by Mr. Fred Agbenyo below;

REJOINDER: FRED AGBENYO ACCUSED OF POCKETING GHC17.8 BILLION CAMPAIGN CASH

My attention has been drawn to a malicious story on the following online news portals (Ghanaweb.com, Peacefmonline.com, Bjrlivefm.com, Accrafm.com and other news webs) about an alleged pocketing of some GHC 17.8 million campaign cash of the NDC.

I want to state without any shred of equivocation, that I have never and was never given or receive any amount of money for and on behalf of my party the NDC, for onward distribution or usage before, during and after the 2016 General elections.

As a matter of fact and for the records, I was never a member of the campaign team neither was I in charge of any campaign resource or logistics, even though I acquitted and discharged my responsibilities creditably as a Deputy National Communication Officer in the 2016 campaign.

I have also realized that, the story was attributed to an amateur video circulated on social media, involving an aggrieved party foot soldier who was angry with the NDC executives because he thought he and his colleagues at Agbogbloshie were being attacked and the party looked on unconcerned.

Indeed, we were addressing the press on the matter of harassment, intimidation and the dastard attacks on NDC members after the defeat in the 2016 polls, when he (party footsoldier) angrily entered the auditorium to distract the proceedings.

Present at the press brief was the National Youth Organizer and his 2 deputies, the National Communication Officer and my other colleague Deputy National Communication Officer, the Deputy National Organizer, the Deputy Director of Research and other National executives.

It still beats my imagination how such fictitious and fraudulent story could be drawn from what was just a situation of a national executive trying calm down an angry party faithful, who as a matter of fact I had never met until that day?

I want to use this opportunity to serve notice to all media outlets and individuals who published the said story, to take immediate steps to remedy the injury caused to my reputation by publishing this rejoinder or risk being sued in the law courts for defamation.

Signed
Fred K. Agbenyo
Deputy National Communications Officer - NDC