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| VP''s Office Dismisses Bugging Rumor |
1/19/2007 |
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Aides to Vice President, Aliu Mahama, have dismissed a report in a local newspaper that the second most important personality in the country has been bugged by
An article published in the INDEPENDENT newspaper claims the discovery of sophisticated bugging gadgets in the vice president’s office at the castle in Osu. Mahama supporters say the alleged report is a calculated attempt to tarnish the solid reputation of the vice president.
Yaw Asamoah, a special aide to Vice President, told Voice of America(VOA) that an investigation is underway about the alleged bugging of the office.
“Indeed the first time the vice president’s office got to know about this was when the reporter called to inquire before the publication and I did tell the reporter that we were completely unaware of any such situation. But then the report has come out that this alleged bugging is taking place and we have subsequently have referred it to the national security to investigate the truth or otherwise,” he said.
Asamoah said the vice president’s office referred the alleged bugging to the security agencies to find out who might be behind the bugging or the rumor.
“It is a national security matter. Without establishing the truth or otherwise of it we can’t purport to speculate or even attempt to speculate on the source or otherwise. But once we have a clear credible source, and we know that it is indeed the truth or otherwise, we can take subsequent steps,” He said.
Asamoah said the vice president’s office does not know who is making the allegations about the bugging.
“For now, we would rather not want to move beyond the needed story because so far as we are concerned the story is not true. Because we are in that office and no such incidence has happened, and it’s being alleged that it happened from the media. So the least we can do since the office is a security zone is to have the proper security report established. Beyond that at this stage, we would not speculate,” Asamoah, noted.
He said the minister for national security has been called upon to begin the investigation into the alleged bugging.
“This morning by 10:00AM, the minister of national security had already moved to initiate the process of seeking the truth out,” he added.
Asamoah said the vice president’s office would know what next to do after the conclusion of the investigation.
“What next would depend on the results of the investigation. It could well turn out to be a mere rumor. Because we really need to find out the source and whether the equipment is there as the newspaper alleges, if the office is swept with the appropriate equipment and nothing is found, it means it ends there,” he said.
Asamoah said though the newspaper report is false, it had created some panicky situation in the country.
“The story creates the impression something has happened which has set everybody off in a panic. But in reality I’m not privy to any such thing having happened. The sources, whatever sources they are would have to be more credible than at the moment, I believe,’ he said.
Source:
VOA (Peter Clottey )/GHP
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