OSP must see Ken’s Bawumia video

Four days ago, on Monday, October 23, a viral video showed some people, at a New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates meeting, keenly watching what a Ghanaweb reporter said was Kennedy Adjapong’s “evidence” that some delegates were offered and/or receiving inducements to vote for Dr Bawumia, as flag bearer.

Ken had told them that some of the party chairmen received as much as GH¢100,000 and brand-new cars.

The Ghanaweb story said, “Some of them (delegates) can be seen shocked as they took a look at the visuals Ken was showing them.”

On hearing the bribery allegation, the chairman of the Sagnarigu Constituency challenged Ken, declaring he (chairman) had received no such inducement. 

That, according to Ghanaweb, was when Ken “started showing his evidence to the delegates.”

What did the delegates see that so shocked them?

The ink had not dried on the paper on which the story was written when the Vice-President issued a denial. 

Question

First question: Is it a crime to offer inducement to voters?

I texted this question to the respected lawyer and Occupy Ghana activist, Ace Ankomah (proud father of two female lawyers called to the Bar only last week). 

His reply, via WhatsApp, was, “In public elections, yes.

The question is whether party primaries are public elections". 

My comment was, “Why not? The Electoral Commission (EC) conducts primaries”.

No further comment came from Ace.

 Apparently, his attention was elsewhere.

More questions than answers!

One: Is Ken’s video so explicit?

In other words, does the viewer see moneys actually exchanging hands? 

Two: Apart from Ken’s say-so, how did the video watchers know it was bribe money and that each offer was GH¢100,000? 

Three: Even if faces of known personalities are seen counting money, how does one tell that the money (if any) was being offered as inducement? 

Four: Were the chairmen seen being given the car keys?

Were they seen driving them away?

Who says that they were not same vehicles they had driven to the venue hours or minutes earlier? 

Finally, does the video show enough evidence to point the ‘bribe’ to Bawumia?  

Still wondering: Why would Ken show such ‘evidence’, knowing that he would be put to strict proof and that failure to offer proof could result in a Bawumia punch from which he may not be able to recover soon?
 

Invention

With the invention of modern recorders (such as Anas uses), we don’t even start asking how he came by the video.

Long before Anas, Kofi Koomson was shocking the world with evidence of what Jerry Rawlings said to party faithful at secret meetings. 

Rawlings got so frustrated that at one meeting, every participant was thoroughly frisked.

Next day, Rawlings’ quotes were all over in the ‘Chronicle’. 

Question to Ken, however, is, was ‘bribe’ or ‘inducement’ written on the tell-tale envelopes?

What was his motive? To shame Bawumia, prove the delegates bribable and hopefully, sway a huge proportion of November 4 delegates to his cause?

Ken is Ken

On the other side of the coin, Ken is Ken.

You may not like his language, but he is the same Ken whose persistence and ‘okro mouth’ led to the Alfred Agbesi Woyome full blown corruption exposé in 2012. 

How Ken was ridiculed, lambasted and nearly got sued! It was his relentless pursuit of crime against the state that saved Ghana part of the GH¢51 million involved. 

In the Woyome scandal, Ken had evidence.

In the Bawumia video, however, it is difficult to fathom how the lawmaker can manufacture evidence to nail his contender in the eyes of the delegates.  

Secret transactions

Why am I going on and on like this?

In this life, some secret transactions are hard to prove.

It is difficult to prove bribe-taking because s(he) who alleges must produce the smoking gun itself. 

What we need are tell-tale voices on the tape.

 With the exception of mental patients, nobody will step forward, confessing, “I took money and cars”.
Sill, Ken is Ken.

It is in the interest of Bawumia himself to insist on the allegation being investigated.

In the interest of democracy, and not to rock the faith, especially of young people in democracy and in certain role models, I think the Special Prosecutor must show interest. 

Leave

Meanwhile, the Sagnarigu Constituency chairman has asked Ken to leave the party and join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because his actions are dividing the NPP.

 He swore to deal with Ken before the latter leaves the party!

Anyhow, I wonder if, as at today, Ken is still hopeful of a ‘showdown’.

Bawumia is looking beyond November 4, with eyes on a 2024 clash with John Mahama. 

Last Wednesday’s sod-cutting for 582 Social Cohesion (SOCO) projects for the six northern plus Oti regions, which ceremony was performed by Bawumia, is targeting December 7, 2024, not November 4, 2023.

Not fair? As far back as the 16th century, specifically 1578, John Lyly, in his novel, Eupheus, had said it all: “All is fair in love and war!”

The writer is Executive Director,

Centre for Communication and Culture.

E-mail: ashonenimil@gmail.com