Opinions of Friday, 30 September 2016

Columnist: The Catalyst

Why Fadi must not be left off the hook

Fadi Dabboussi Fadi Dabboussi

Ghanaians have in the past few days been subjected to the antics of a character that could be more dangerous than is perceived to be.

Fadi Gaboussi, a Lebanese pilot and journalist, has really enjoyed the tolerance of a system that politicizes anything that is clothed in political colours, especially when it favors the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as has been the case in his pretentious clownery he has unleashed on the peaceful people of the land.

The tactics adopted by Fadi Gaboussi in fabricating a story against President Mahama and the Asantehene is reminiscent of an ancient goldsmith trying to turn an iron bar into gold.

That is why the security agencies MUST not allow him to get away with it. Letting him off the hook is synonymous to encouraging people to mess up with the image of the presidency and to take our democracy for granted while demeaning our security alertness.

The Catalyst is hereby demanding that Fadi produce a copy of The Catalyst newspaper from which his lawyer is claiming he (Fadi) got the stories, by end of a week or retract and apologise.

The Al-Hajj newspaper, the other paper Fadi claims he sourced the story from, has also issued an ultimatum for him to produce the copy or face the rigours of the law.

This should not end the case the security agencies are pursuing since there could be other motives behind this malicious attempt to bring the presidency to disrepute.

The apology being offered by Fadi, contrary to his lawyer’s claims, is nothing short of hypocrisy and a smart move to outwit the system and coming from no other party than the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Fadi is just doing what his party is very good at.

The modus operandi has been to publish damaging stories about their targets and then use the stories later to support their deceptive case.

The trick started long ago with some cloned stories on Al-Hajj newspaper and then The Catalyst. After succeeding in that feat, the authors presented the right platform for Fadi to begin his shameful agenda of maligning two key personalities in the country.

It is time to put an end to this disrespectful act that muddies the image of the nation by probing further the motives and intents of Fadi Dabousi.

The Catalyst is expecting the security agencies to ignore the political antics being displayed by the NPP to divert attention as the likes Hopeson Adorye pretend to exercise their so-called democratic rights in calling for his release last week or they demonstrate.

It is an age-long tactics the NPP are very good at so it shouldn’t be news to anyone.

Don’t let Fadi off the hook! Let him appreciate the fact that democracy has limits for dangerous antics and characters.