Ignore Wikileaks – says former President Kuffuor

The controversy surrounding the recent leaked cables published by international whistle blower website Wikileaks shows no sign of ending anytime soon as former President Kuffuor has broken his silence on some of the leaked cables.

Commenting on the cables attributed to the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper which alleges that the NPP's presidential candidate occasionally uses marijuana, President Kuffuor said the reports were unnecessary.

Speaking via phone on Adom TV's morning show, BADWAM on Multi TV, the former President said “the impression wikileaks is trying to create about Nana Addo's personality is totally unnecessary, let's not pay attention to it. You will realise that each time wikileaks brings out an issue no one owns up.''

Asked by show host, Kojo Asare Baffuor Acheampong if the comments about the NPP flag bearer were true, the former president asked “who saw Nana Addo anywhere with smoke clouded over him as a result of excessive smoking? Who can come out and confirm these assertions? As I speak with you, Nana Addo is in the Central Region, you can and ask if he has smoke clouded around him. It's not true. How I wish we would ignore their (wikileaks) reportage and focus on the development of this nation''.

He added that “Wikileaks stories are not verifiable. There are no witnesses and so you can't even take the matter to court for proper judgement. It is not worth our (Ghanaians) stress.''

He expressed his conviction that the alleged cables were an attempt by someone to manipulate the country.

“There's this gentleman outside this country who is using technology to break into the United States dispatches and is feeding them with issues'' he suggested.

The Member of Parliament for Ajumako, Ato Forson who was also on the show, however disagreed with the former President stressing that the contents of the leaked cables cannot be entirely false since some of the issues raised in the cables have proven to be true.

“A typical example is the issue raised about Ben Ephson, Kwesi Pratt, Dr. Anning. Ben Ephson confirmed having said what he was quoted to have said, Kwesi Pratt also confirmed having such conversation with some people but was not sure if he made those statements about Nana Addo” he added.

He also dismissed assertions by sections of the public that the issues raised by wikileaks could threaten the peace and development of the country.

Etornam Tsormey/ Multi TV