The controversial security tapes supposedly recorded by security personnel attached to the Osu Castle, which have generated hullabaloo in the media and political landscape in the past days, have revealed that ¢90 billion (GH¢9million) will be used as campaign money for President Mills’ re-election bid and not GH¢90 million as was put out in the media domain.

DAILY GUIDE on Sunday May 15, listened to nine minutes of a recorded conversation, believed to be two hours long, during which the voice of a man who claims to have connections with the Castle said that 90 billion old cedis had been allocated by President Atta Mills’ team for the campaign to get the president re-elected as National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag-bearer.

Herbert Mensah, businessman and an aide to former President Jerry John Rawlings, had told Peace Fm that the ¢90 billion was mentioned on the tape to have been allocated for each of the ten regions in the country for the Mills campaign, which amounts to a colossal GH¢90 million.

President Mills has denied ever sanctioning GH¢90m, equivalent to $60 million, for his campaign and even asked the security agencies to investigate the matter for Ghanaians to know the truth.

The President said, “Where I have reached in my career, it is not the time for me to disgrace myself. I have therefore ordered our security agencies to conduct investigations into the allegation so that Ghanaians would know the truth.”

The identity of the voice on the tape was not clear, but he mentioned that he is a researcher who is usually engaged by top politicians to embark on research for them during electioneering periods.

He noted on the tape that the President Mills campaign team planned to allocate ¢30billion out of the ¢90billion to campaign in the Ashanti region alone, in anticipation of winning more votes from the region.

The voice also named four close aides and deputy ministers in the Mills administration, Baba Jamal, Koku Anyidoho, Alex Segbefia and Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, as well as three other people from the Ashanti region who have been tasked to embark on a ‘special operation’ for the Mills’ campaign.

The three people from the Ashanti region who were named on the tape include KMA Boss Samuel Sarpong, NDC Ashanti Regional chairman, Yaw Obimpeh and one Mr. Owusu who is said to be a staunch member of the party.

The ‘special job’ that the seven-member campaign team has been tasked to perform for the president’s re-election campaign bid was not explained on the controversial tape.

Herbert Mensah, a close associate of the Rawlingses who made the claim of the existence of the ‘security tape’ in a radio interview last week, has so far not released the tape to any media house but DAILY GUIDE learnt that some radio stations might play it this morning.

DAILY GUIDE approached him over the weekend for a copy of the tape which is now the major topic in town but he declined to make copies of it available. However, a reporter was allowed to listen to nine minutes of what they said were excerpts of the over two-hour recorded tape.

The person whose voice is on the tape said he is a researcher and that a security person at the Castle, the seat of government, who was present at those meetings informed him about the president’s campaign funding.

DAILY GUIDE has since then spoken to some delegates of the NDC in the Ashanti region who have confirmed that President Mills’ team wants to use money to induce delegates for votes.

A leading member of the party who demanded anonymity hinted that NDC National Women’s Organizer, Anita De-Sousou, recently promised that government would in June make available ¢200million loans available to all the 39 constituency women’s organizers in the Ashanti region.

Madam De Sousou was also reported to have promised an additional ¢100 million loan package for the deputy women’s organizers in the region.

Anita has denied making any such promise to the women organizers when contacted by DAILY GUIDE, saying, “I am sorry I don’t know anything about that story; I am sorry I don’t have an idea about that money.”

BNI Storms Adom Fm In a related development, the premises of Adom FM was raided by BNI operatives last Friday when the station announced that copies of the controversial tape would play on air today.

Sources said the BNI’s move was ostensibly to prevent the station from playing the tape. A courier who was allegedly on his way to Adom FM to deliver the tape disappeared upon seeing a BNI operative.

The man, who had apparently been tasked to deliver the recording to Adom FM to enable Adakabre to air the recording on Monday, on his arrival became aware of the presence of BNI officers at the station.

Following a series of highly-publicized events, the BNI stormed the offices of Adom FM on Friday morning, ostensibly to prevent tapes suggesting financial and physical intimidation on the part of persons close to or a part of the President’s re-election team from being played.

On Friday morning, after announcements referring to the tape, the BNI stormed Adom Fm’s offices. Staff were alarmed as the BNI officers entered aggressively, with panicked and stressed faces.

A staff of Adom Fm was reported to have said, “They thought we already had the tape so they wanted to come for it.”