An aide to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu, has questioned the integrity of the journalist who’s interview with his boss conveyed allegations suggesting the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, was involved in the murder the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP, Adams Mahama.
Simak Shirac, the special assistant to Bugri Naabu, alleged that the journalist in question carried out a secret recording of the Northern Region NPP Chairman leading to the compromising allegations making rounds in public.
Bugri Naabu was threatened with a lawsuit for the claims, but has to the Upper East Regional Minister.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said, “I am telling you on authority that what is circulating in the media was never part of the interview Bugri Naabu granted and Bugri Naabu said so during the interview. I was there when the interview was granted.”
According to Mr. Shirac, concerns were raised after the official interview as to whether the journalist was still recording them off record. He said the journalist gave assurances that “even if my recorder captures what you guys are discussing, I will delete or edit it.”
“But to our surprise, what he said he was going to delete or edit was in the public domain,” Mr. Shirac added.
Journalist fires back – Shirac was not even present
Speaking on Eyewitness News later on however, the journalist who interviewed Bugri Naabu, Isaac Nognya, took offence to the claims and questioned why Mr. Shirac was even speaking to the matters when he [Shirac] was not in the vicinity of the interview.
“I am a very professional journalist and I have discharged my duties professionally over the years and the said gentleman [Simak Shirac] was not in the said meeting,” Isaac Nognya asserted.
The interview stemmed for the Northern Region NPP a fracas between the Minister for Gender, Women and Children Affairs, Otiko Djaba and Bugri Naabu, which saw damning allegations thrown either way, including the claims that Otiko and Rockson Bukari were “deeply involved” in the murder of the former NPP Upper East Regional Chairman.
Isaac Nognya indicated that, he may have some more indicting sound bites as he said to the Eyewitness News host, Umaru Sanda.
“If he[Simak Shirac] dares me, I will release the raw tape to you and you will listen to the one-one interview.”
“I said, look, the person who granted me the interview has no problem with the soundbite so you a second party should not say I shouldn’t have sent that voice recording.”
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)