Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has denied allegations by Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, that he instigated investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to interview President Akufo-Addo in order to trap him.
He has, therefore, chronologically explained the circumstances under which the meeting between the President and Anas took place at the Nima residence of the President while rubbishing claims by Mr Agyapong that the meeting took place at the Jubilee House.
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“I want to put it on record loud and clear, first of all, that the meeting didn’t take place at the Jubilee House, it took place at the private residence of President Akufo-Addo at Nima,” he said on Accra-based Peace FM Wednesday as monitored by Adomonline.com.
Kennedy Agyapong had accused Mr Baako of betraying the President by assisting Anas to interview him.
He labelled Mr Baako a hypocrite for allowing the investigative journalist to interview the President on the bribery allegations raised against him by Kwesi Nyantakyi in the Number 12 expose’.
“Kweku Baako has betrayed Akufo Addo. He took Akufo-Addo for granted because of his relationship with him and asked Anas to interview him when he knew Akufo-Addo is clean. Kweku Baako is neither honest nor is he a saint”, Ken Agyapong alleged on Adom TV’s Morning show, Badwam Tuesday.
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“He actually went with Anas to interview the president. I can categorically state that he was the one who held the gadget to record Akufo-Addo. I wonder what his motive was,” Mr Agyapong further alleged.
But reacting to the allegations, Mr Baako said Anas, when he met the president, unmasked and only wore his mask when an interview with the president had been agreed because the documentary was going to be made public.
“There were ten people involved in the meeting, on the President’s side were five people; Abu Jinapor, Asenso-Boakye, Eugene Arhin, Bomti Akufo-Addo, those were the people there . . . myself, Anas and two of his video people came along and I was accompanied by a good friend of mine who is a lawyer . . . in all we were ten in the room”, Mr Baako explained.
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“Before the recording, Anas was unmasked and had about 10 to 15 minutes discussion with the President with all of us present. So at the pre-recording stage, Anas was unmasked, everybody was there; we all listened to it and watched the thing with the full knowledge and consent of the President of this republic”, he explained further.
Mr Baako who sounded emotional in discussing the issue said the President was a good friend whom he has supported and campaigned for and will continue to campaign for.
“This doesn’t make sense. I keep my cool. President Akufo-Addo is my friend, I like him, I supported him, I campaigned for him and I will do so again the next time around and I have no regret. I will never betray him”, he said.