Manasseh never interviewed me on Mahama’s Ford Gift - Batidam

The President’s Advisor on Governance and Corruption Daniel Batidam, has denied granting any interview to Joy Fm’s Manasseh Azure Awuni on President Mahama’s ford expedition gift received from Djibril Kanazoe.

“You can quote me and play it anywhere…I did not grant any interview to the journalist on the ford expedition gift”, he said.

He has been quoted as saying ““the motivation for a gift is even more important than the quantum. And so I think it goes without saying that you cannot take gifts from sources that have the potential of influencing your decision making. It’s not acceptable. I think a responsible leader, minister [or] senior public servant would not need to be advised on that”

But he has disclosed that Manasseh only booked an interview with him to speak on conflict of interest involving public officers and nothing in relation to the Ford gift.

According to him, Manasseh pieced together his voice to make it look like he explicitly spoke to him on the infamous ford gift when in actual fact, it was on a different subject matter.

Commenting on plans by the minority in parliament to impeach the president on the matter, he disclosed on the Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko that it is needless for such an exercise insisting the president has not flouted any law.

A summon by the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho directed MPs to return to the house on Thursday, September 1, but fell short of disclosing the agenda for the sitting.

However, Article 112 (3) of the Constitution says if 15 percent of MPs sign a petition, parliament must sit to consider it. The current parliament has 275 MPs with 148 (National Democratic Congress), 121 (New Patriotic Party), 3 (Independent), 1 (Convention People’s Party) and 1(People’s National Convention).