The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has denied allegations of soliciting for a $20,000 bribe from the Chief Executive Officer of Alafei Food, Claude Convincer Davit, to gain access to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Davit had claimed that he sought a guarantee for a loan related to a project under the government’s flagship One District, One Factory program of which he was asked to pay $20,000 to Asenso-Boakye.

However, in a press statement shared by Asenso-Boakye on Facebook on November 29, 2023, and signed by Paul Yandoh who happens to be his media assistant, he dismissed the said allegations as "false and evil."

Yandoh emphasized that the minister does not know Davit and has never had any interaction with him.

He pointed out that this is not the first time such an accusation has been made by Davit, and it was previously determined to be baseless.

“Our attention has been drawn to a video of a gentleman by name Claude Convincer Davit in which he alleges that in 2017 the Deputy Chief of staff at the Office of the President, Hon Asenso-Boakye solicited for a bribe from him in order to grant him access to the President.

“We wish to state categorically that the allegation is false and evil. Hon Asenso-Boakye does not know the gentleman in question. He has never met him nor had any interaction whatsoever with him,” part of the statement read.

The statement added that the repetition of the allegation may be part of a political ploy orchestrated by the minister's opponents to tarnish his image.

“It may be recalled that this is not the first time this allegation has been made against the MP by the same person. It became obvious then that there was no iota of truth in the allegation. It gives cause to wonder why the gentleman will repeat the same allegation at this time if not for evil and malicious intentions.

“It bears saying that the repetition of a false allegation does not make it true. It was false then, and it is false today. It is obvious that this is a spurious allegation which has resurfaced as a result of the propaganda machinations of the MP’s political opponents and detractors who wish to court unnecessary public disaffection for him in order to score cheap political points.

“Should the Ghana Police and/or the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) find any weight in the allegation, we strongly suggest then that they invite Mr. Davit to provide further and better particulars,” the statement added.

In a video that has gone viral, Davit accused Asenso-Boakye of requesting the bribe during a visit to the presidency in 2017 when the minister served as the deputy chief of staff at the Office of the President.

He detailed his account of the alleged solicitation of a bribe, asserting that he refused to pay the $20,000 and subsequently faced hurdles in obtaining approval for the loan guarantee.



AM/DO

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