A member of the New Patriotic Party, has firmly denied allegations suggesting that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is engaged in corrupt activities.
According to George Ayisi, despite hearing various accusations, he is yet to come across any reports in local or international media linking the President of the Republic to a corruption scandal.
However, there is one individual among the former presidents he has encountered in an international newspaper associated with corruption.
Speaking on a panel alongside Edem Agbana and Bernard Mornah on TV3 Newday, George Ayisi advised individuals who are quick to label Akufo-Addo as corrupt to reconsider their stance.
“ I’m yet to see any international or local newspaper splash on their front page the ‘corrupt President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.’ he defended.
Meanwhile, in the April 2023 release of Al Jazeera’s investigative film “Gold Mafia,” the identities of six African leaders, including President Akufo-Addo, were disclosed by a notorious gold smuggler.
Alistair Mathias, the self-proclaimed gold dealer, implicated the six leaders in various roles. He openly confessed in the documentary to his involvement in money laundering and the retention of illicit payments on behalf of prominent African politicians, which included sitting presidents.
The majority of the mentioned presidents are from the Southern African region. The documentary named King Mswati of eSwatini, along with the presidents of Zimbabwe (a country where much of their fraudulent activities are centered), 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.”
Nevertheless, President Akufo-Addo countered the claim by clarifying to Al Jazeera via email that he had no memory of having represented the gold mafia in any legal capacity during his time as a lawyer.