KRL has separate contracts with Akufo-Addo’s campaign and govt - US PR firm denies reports

A report by Open Source Investigators (OSI), an international organisation that provides in-depth research behind political stories has been vehemently disregarded by US public relations firm KRL International LLC.

Backed by documents in a report published on their site, OSI outlined how Nana Akufo-Addo then NPP candidate hired KRL International which is headed by Riva Levinson an alleged specialist in dirty lobbying and influence operation, as a communications and general political consultant for his presidential campaign in June 2016.

OSI further alleged that after engaging the services of KRL International, Nana Akufo-Addo used public funds to pay the PR organization.

“A contract extension was signed on February 27, 2017. The beneficiary (NPP) and purpose (supporting Nana Addo) remained the same. But the payments were no longer made by a private entity, I Am For Nana Foundation; they were now made by the Office of the President-elect for Ghana, using public funds,” OSI reported and added a document of the Amendment filed by KRL.

But in a press statement released by the outfit, KRL International although admitting being engaged by Nana Akufo-Addo for his campaign rubbished reports of being paid from government’s coffers.

They noted that they their continuous work with President Akufo-Addo was under a different contract with the Finance Ministry engaging international stakeholders and media houses on behalf of the Ministry for the past three years, supporting the promotion of initiatives such as One District One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Food and Jobs, Ghana Beyond Aid, and resource mobilisation for Covid-19.

“OSI, which presents itself as an international investigative body, is but a partisan blog, established in 2015 to publish largely defamatory content about then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. It was re-activated in 2020 for the same mission. During this recent time frame, KRL has been the subject of three attacks. OSI’s reports lack authors, attribution, fact checking and credibility. KRL will be filing a formal Legal Complaint against the site once we can determine its ownership, management, and editorial team. None of this information is publicly disclosed. Journalists who cite their content should conduct their due diligence, or they put their own reputations at risk,”portions of the statement from the PR firm reads.

“Prior to President Akufo- Addo’s inauguration on January 7, 2017 KRL had a contract with the ‘I Am for Nana Foundation’ in support of his campaign, followed by an agreement with the Office of the President-Elect to offer support during the transition period. Several months after President Akufo-Addo took office and established a cabinet, KRL signed its first agreement with the Government of Ghana to provide support to the Ministry of Finance,” they added.

Read the full statement below