George Ayisi posits that he has heard a lot of such allegations but is yet to see any news of the President of the Republic circulating in local and international media over a corruption scandal.
However, there is only one man he has seen in an international newspaper as corrupt and that is former President John Dramani Mahama.
George Ayisi who was speaking on a panel consisting of Edem Agbana and Bernard Mornah on TV3 Newday, therefore, cautioned individuals who tag Akufo-Addo with corruption to cease.
“My brother, Edem seeks to say that the president is corrupt and all that. I’m yet to see any international or local newspaper splash on their front page the ‘corrupt President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo' but I have seen that on the Sun newspaper of London; of President John Mahama on the front about Armajaro and other corrupt dealings. I’ve seen the fourth saga embroiling the president of the land. Armajaro things,” he defended.
Meanwhile, the identities of six African leaders including President Akufo-Addo were mentioned by a notorious gold smuggler in the April 2023 edition of Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigative film.
The six were mentioned in different capacities by Alistair Mathias, the self-acclaimed gold dealer who admitted in the film to helping launder money and keeping bribe proceeds for top African politicians including presidents.
Most of the presidents mentioned are in the Southern African bloc. He mentioned King Mswati in eSwatini as well as presidents of Zimbabwe (where most of their fraudulent activities take place), South Africa, Zambia, DR Congo and Ghana.
When undercover agents met him in South Africa and asked about his continental connections, he spoke up: “Next door Swaziland, the king is a close friend of mine. Zambia’s president is a close friend of my friend.
“DRC Congo, the president is inviting me several times to come and build a refinery. Ghana’s president is a good friend of mine, in fact, he was my lawyer. Cyril Ramaphosa here, I know his kids,” he said while a close ally added: ”Zimbabwe is easy.”
President Akufo-Addo in a rebuttal, however, explained to Al Jazeera through an email that he had no recollection of ever representing the gold mafia in court as a lawyer.
I am yet to see any local or international newspaper report that President Akufo-Addo is corrupt but I have seen John Mahama on The Sun newspaper in relation to corruption - George Ayisi on corruption.#TV3NewDaypic.twitter.com/H92qfiTHE8
