The Managing Editor for the Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson has denied a “Daybreak” newspaper publication that he took money from Alan Kyerematen in the run-up to the 2007 NPP presidential primaries to buy a 4x4 Ford Explorer.

The “Daybreak” newspaper in its 13th September, 2011 edition, published a story to the effect that Alan Kyerematen, who was one of 17 presidential aspirants to contest the 2008 flagbearership slot for the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), gave some considerable sum to Ben Ephson to conduct several polls and doctor the result to favour Mr. Kyerematen ahead of the Legon Congress.

But speaking on Adom FM on Tuesday, Ben Ephson said the 4X4 Ford Explorer he owned was bought on a hire purchase and not with money from any politician.

He explained that Mr. Tommy Swaniker, Manager for Svani Limited, the company from which he bought the said vehicle, facilitated the purchase in 2007 which he paid in instalments over a period of eight months.

He challenged the newspaper to go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority to verify the name in which the vehicle was registered. He said he initially registered the vehicle in his company’s name and later transferred it into his name after making full payment of the car.

In a related development, Ben Ephson has also challenged the “Daybreak” newspaper to publish pictures it said it has obtained about a supposed office complex being put up in a house belonging to his (Ben Ephson’s) father at Kanda, by a senior government official, Mr. Ato Ahwoi.

The paper claimed that already, architectural drawings of the said offices are in possession of the National Security Secretariat.

But Ben Ephson maintained that his father’s house at Kanda has been taken over by a plantain farm and challenged the Daybreak newspaper to publish pictures of the said offices, if indeed they have any evidence to back the claim.