NDC trying to water down bribery allegations against Mahama – NPP

The opposition New Patriotic Party(NPP) has dismissed media reports suggesting that the elephant family has desperately taken its begging bowl to China for some foreign cash to power its November 2016 presidential and parliamentary electioneering campaign.

The Herald newspaper captured in its June 20 edition that many Chinese nationals were at a supposed event in the Asian country donating to the NPP and receiving gifts of appreciation from Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who led the delegation to that country.

The reports said although the move is in contravention with the stern warnings in the 1992 Constitution, as well as the Political Parties Law; Act 574 of 2000, against non-Ghanaians funding political parties, the Dankwa-Busia-Dombo tradition disregarded the provision of the law and solicited for funds from Chinese nationals.

This follows widespread reports suggesting that the NPP is in financial distress as the party is struggling to run its electioneering campaign.

But the Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Mr Perry Okudzeto said the propaganda making rounds about the NPP’s trip to China is a move initiated by the ruling NDC government to water down the bribery allegation brought against President Mahama.

According to him, there is no shred of truth in the allegations insisting that the news is palpably false and intended to destroy the NPP in the upcoming elections.

“It is only people who are under pressure from taking bribes from business men who are trying to muddy the waters by making efforts to push the propaganda to drag the NPP into the mud. The said programme was organised by the communist party in China and it was not a fund raising programme. Such fund raising are done in a lawful manner and therefore political parties from African countries cannot go and be openly taking monies from foreign nationals.

‘If we go abroad for fund raising activities, it’s only Ghanaian nationals who are living in those countries that we can engage them to donate to our course.

“It will be childish for a political party,the stature of the NPP to openly go to China and be soliciting for funds from Chinese citizens and do it in a way as it is being presented. And besides the programme was not a fund raising programme, it was an award Dr. Bawumia was presenting to the awardees. I don’t believe he was seen with a cup in his hands begging for funds, it was a plaque which was being given to the awardees.