Bribery Injunction Hits GJA President-elect

The swearing in ceremony for the newly-elected President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has been blocked, following the filing of an application for an injunction by one of the members of the inky fraternity.

The new President Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor was expected to be sworn in today Thursday June 30, 2022 by a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice George Kingsley Koomson at the Accra International Conference Centre for a three-year term.

Before his election, a bribery allegation had been levelled against him, which apparently, was not looked into.

In the suit, filed by Justice Lee Adoboe of the China News Agency, the veteran journalist argued that the bribery allegation levelled against MrDwumfuor should have been investigated before the elections were held.

The injunction was served on the officials of the GJA yesterday Wednesday, June 29. Last week Friday June 24, the GJA finally held it long awaited national executive elections across the country.

The elections which had delayed for two years saw Albert Dwumfuor, emerging as the President-elect.

The now embattled GJA President-elect contestededitor of the Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu; and Communications Consultant, Gayheart Mensah, who was largely tipped to win.

Ahead of the election, an online news portal The Fourth Estate,had reported that a member of the GJA in the Western Region, DotseyKoblahAklorbortu, had petitioned the election committee of the association to investigate and act on the conduct of Mr. Dwumfour

In the petition that was sighted and verified by The Fourth Estate, Mr. Aklorbortu alleged that Mr. Dwumfour “with tacit support from the Chairman of Tobinco Group of Company, Mr. AmohTobbin, offered members of the GJA in good standing [at a meeting], in addition to the buffet, an amount of ¢500 to vote for Mr. Albert Dwumfour.”

The petitioner further alleged that “Mr. AmohTobbin, in the said meeting at the Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi, told journalists to vote for Mr. Dwumfour in order to protect and promote his business.

“He said during the previous administration (government), his business suffered under MrOpuni and that he used the media to protect his interest. Therefore, voting for Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour to become the GJA President will mean protection for his business interest.”

Short videos sighted by the website showed Samuel AmohTobbin of the Tobinco Group of Companies and Albert Dwumfour, in a meeting with some journalists in the Western Region.

MrTobbin is heard in the video saying if it were a political thing, he would ask, “Should I give a TV [set] or this or that?” which was greeted with laughter from the journalists present at the meeting.

“I will be of help because I’m in the industry and more so, I’m a businessman. So, I’ll need you tomorrow. If you come tomorrow after voting for him and I turn you down, Tobinco is a household name. Who knows tomorrow?” he said.

“I’m not a politician, who will say it and just go away. I’m a businessman. I’m in a lot of businesses. So do him [pointing to Albert Dwumfour] a favour. Do me a favour by bringing him. When you bring him… why I want you to bring him on board is to support my business as well. He’s my corporate person. He does all my social [activities],” he told the journalists.

The petitioner said the actions of Albert Dwumfour contravened “Article 52 (b) (c) and (d) GJA constitution 2004. It states ‘52 (b) it shall be an election offence for any candidate to directly or indirectly offer cash, favors, any incentives, or apply threats with the intention to influence the election results. (c) Any candidate found contravening the provisions of Article 52 (b) shall be disqualified after due investigation by the elections committee and (d) if found guilty, the candidate shall be barred from standing for any GJA elections for the next two (2) subsequent general elections.’”

Mr. Dwumfour is the National Organiser of the GJA whose tenure expired in 2020 but is yet to hand over because the election to choose new executives was not held.

He is also the Group Head for Corporate Affairs of the Tobinco Group of Companies. When The Fourth Estate contacted him, he confirmed the said meeting with journalists and the Tobinco Group Chairman.

He said Samuel AmohTobbin happened to be in the Western Region for a separate event and his meeting with the journalists coincided with the venue Mr. Tobbin was meeting other people so his boss decided to sit in.

He said after the meeting, Mr. Tobbin suggested to him (Mr. Dwumfour) to give the journalists something and after consulting with him, the two agreed to give them 500 cedis each.

“He asked me whether I was leaving them like that. He asked about the number of delegates [in the Western Region] and I said about 20 and he said I should give all of them 500 cedis,” Mr. Dwumfour told The Fourth Estate.

He added that the Western GJA Regional Secretary, for the sake of Transparency, asked Mr. Tobbin to announce to all the journalists present the amount he was going to give to them.

“He told them, “My brother will take care of you, but it will be 500 cedis,’” Mr. Dwumfour quoted Samuel Amo Tobbin as telling the journalists present.

He said when Mr. Tobbin realised that the delegates in the Western Region were not many, he said the 500 cedis should be extended to all the delegates, including those who were not present at that meeting.

Albert Dwumfour, however, denied the allegation that the money was a bribe. He said he had visited the Western Region alone four times and each time he had met with the delegates, he gave them money.

When asked how much he paid in the past, he said it ranged between 200 and 500 cedis. He said the petitioner was part of the meetings and he had even given the petitioner 500 cedis when he came to Accra.

“I was in Wa yesterday and I am in Bolga as we speak. I gave transportation (money) to every journalist that came to see me,” he told The Fourth Estate.

“Tobinco did not talk about his business benefitting from my election. He said, ‘If you vote for my brother, it’s like voting for journalists. I will sponsor your training workshop etc.’ He didn’t talk about his business interests,” he emphasised.

“You said you give money to delegates wherever you go to campaign,” this reporter asked. “Who funds your campaign?”

“We have friends and others who give us money for these, and by God’s grace some of us have worked and made some money,” Mr. Dwumfour said.

“Is MrTobinco part of those who fund your campaign?”

“Tobinco is my brother and he supports me every day, not only for election,” he said.

Source: theanchorghana