General News of Thursday, 29 August 2013

Source: joyonline

Full GYEEDA report will be published free of charge – Kweku Baako to govt

Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr. says the media is ready to publish the full report Ghana Youth Entrepreneurial and Employment Development Agency (GYEEDA) if government makes it public.

According to him, it will be in the interest of government to make the final report public especially to the media to enable them make an informed and factual observation.

Kweku Baako comments come after government claimed it had released the controversial report of alleged corruption and financial malfeasance at GYEEDA to the media.

Deputy Information Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu who disclosed this during a media briefing at the Flagstaff house said the final report has been handed over to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and the Attorney General’s department to investigative and prosecutes officials of GYEEDA indicted in the report.

But the media seem not to have any idea where to get copies of the said released report.

This has fueled speculations by members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)that the final report has been doctored.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday, Kweku Baako said it will be politically suicidal for government to shred this whole GYEEDA scandal in secrecy.

He noted that the reputation of government, individuals and companies indicted by the report are at stake if the right thing is not done.

The Crusading Guide editor added that the media should be given something to feed on otherwise the same doubt, suspicion and controversy the draft report occasioned will be recycled.

Kweku Baako suggested government should in 24 or 48 hours distribute copies of the report to media houses or post it on its website for easy access.

The renowned journalist underscored the need for full disclosure to enable the media make comparative analysis with the draft and final report to draw the necessary conclusions.

He said government handing over the report to EOCO gives him an impression that "serious economic crimes were committed".

"We have to know exactly where those serious economic crimes were committed in the course of this GYEEDA operation. We will have to know what these serious economic crimes were and the persons" he stressed.

Kweku Baako commended government for initiating steps to sanction those indicted in the report but maintained that "we [media] need further and better particulars in order to be able to make informed, educated commentary and observation on this matter".