The allegations emerged following a programme titled Inside Politics, aired on TV XYZ and Power 97.9 FM, during which the host allegedly played an audio recording from an anonymous source accusing the former minister of masterminding deliberate power outages.
According to court documents, the audio recording claimed that some ECG district engineers and political figures held meetings where money was allegedly distributed, with instructions reportedly given to switch off electricity supply in parts of the Ashanti Region.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, however, has described the allegations as false, malicious, and baseless, insisting that he has never participated in any scheme aimed at sabotaging power supply for political purposes.
Reacting to the matter in a statement, the former Energy Minister said he had become aware of a video circulating widely on social media which sought to implicate him and some NPP MPs in the alleged bribery scheme.
“I have come across a video circulating on social media alleging that I, together with some Members of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party in the Ashanti Region, met with District Directors of the Electricity Company of Ghana and offered them money to deliberately keep the lights off in their respective districts,” he stated.
“I wish to state, unequivocally, that this allegation is entirely false, malicious, and without any basis in fact,” he stressed.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh further argued that beyond the reputational damage the claims seek to cause him, the allegations also pose a serious threat to hardworking ECG officials and engineers who could become targets of public anger and intimidation due to what he described as deliberate misinformation.
“Beyond the obvious falsehood, I find this claim deeply troubling because of the dangerous implications it carries for the hardworking engineers and officials of ECG, unfairly exposing them to public anger, intimidation, and possible harm arising from a narrative built on deliberate misinformation,” he noted.
The former minister disclosed that he has instructed his legal team to commence legal proceedings against the media organisations and the presenter involved in the broadcast.
According to him, the legal action is intended to compel the station and the presenter to provide credible evidence to support the allegations or face the consequences under the law.
“I have therefore instructed my lawyers to commence the necessary legal processes against the radio and television station involved, as well as the presenter responsible for making these claims, to compel them to substantiate these allegations with credible evidence or face the full consequences of the law,” he added.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh also used the opportunity to call for responsible public discourse on Ghana’s ongoing power challenges, stressing that the country’s energy crisis should not be politicised through the spread of unverified claims and smear campaigns.
“At a time when Ghanaians are confronted with serious challenges in the power sector, the focus of government and its communicators should be on providing lasting solutions to the crisis and not manufacturing falsehoods, spreading smear narratives, and politicising matters that directly affect the lives of our people,” he stated.
He concluded by urging leaders and public communicators to prioritise honesty, accountability, and constructive leadership in addressing national issues.
“The Ghanaian people deserve honesty, accountability, and leadership that is committed to solving problems rather than creating distractions,” he noted.
Source:
oyerepafmonline.com