The group, Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), in a press statement issued on Monday, February 7th accused the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr of extortion.
FONKAR alleges that Mr. Pratt hid the extorted funds received from the UK Branch of the CPP in a toilet.
Mr. Kwesi Pratt who has openly vowed to scuttle the political ambition of Mrs. Rawlings was also cautioned by the group to concentrate on issues affecting his party the CPP.
But speaking in reaction to the issue on Radio Gold, Mr. Pratt described FONKAR’s accusations as an “attitude of complete intolerance”, adding that FONKAR is deliberately trying to muzzle him by leveling baseless allegations against him because he had so much to say about the ex-first lady.
“How can any journalist in Ghana not write about Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings? Is that possible? You see, this attitude of shutting down the media, of shutting down the people, of making it impossible for people to express themselves is something that belongs to the past,” Mr. Pratt warned.
He described the allegation of extortion leveled against him as “incredulous”.
“In any case, if I have taken the CPP’s money and they say that everyone should concentrate on his party, who is to complain? Is it them or the CPP?” Mr. Pratt quizzed.
Explaining, Mr. Pratt revealed that in 2004, he was in the company of Mr. Mike Eghan, who was then Vice Chairman of the CPP and Professor Akosah, a Presidential aspirant, to solicit funds in the U.K for the CPP. The net income they brought to Ghana according to Mr. Pratt was four thousand pounds, adding that the target was not even achieved, so how could he have hidden part of the funds.
Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Institute of Journalism