We Have the Tapes To Prove It -Enquirer

One of the brains behind the "Castle Hijacks Kickbacks,? story David Tamakloe, insists that the publication was a true account of what the National Party Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Esseku said at a party meeting.

?We have a tape of the meeting and we stand by the publication. I challenge him to go to court if he thinks otherwise,?

The remarks by the party chairman hit the party so hard it led to a crises meeting on Wednesday with President Kufuor in attendance.

Mr Esseku is denying the allegation

?I did not say that the party is financed by kick-backs from contractors or any other category of persons. I am emphatic that I never said that the President is the budget officer, or that the seat of government has been engaged in the corrupt odyssey of receiving kick-backs from the award of contract,? he said.

He said he told the Enquirer that the party?s main problem was financing, which came substantially from prominent members and supporters of the party.

Mr Esseku described the publication by the enquirer as a distortion of the conversation he had with the journalists (Editor of the Enquirer, Raymond Archer and David Tamakloe) who conducted the interview.

?The publication which appeared in the Enquirer newspaper purported to be a report of their conversation with me is a distortion and it clearly calculated to damage the image of the president and the party and to depict me as an enemy of the president.

I totally reject this insinuation. The last think I will do is to attempt to disgrace and dishonour President Kufuor who is a person I have known for many years and for whom I have the highest respect,? he said.

Editor of the Enquirer newspaper says he has in possession a recording of the meeting of party executives where the national chairman was complaining bitterly that Castle has hijacked kick-backs from contractors meant for running the party.