Captain Smart faces corruption charges
CID clears minister of corruption allegations
Minister pledges to deal with critics through the courts
Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, explained for the first time how and why he reported outspoken government critic Captain Smart to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in August 2021.
According to him, he is eagerly awaiting the prosecution of a case in which the CID recently claimed to have evidence that Blessed Godsbrain Smart, commonly known as Captain Smart, allegedly “accepted a bribe”, supposedly to bribe him [the Minister].
Speaking for the first time in a radio interview on Accra-based Oman FM on Wednesday, January 19, 2022, Amoako-Attah revealed that he was made aware of the attempted bribery allegation, which had d first aired on Oman FM’s sister channel, NET 2TV.
He revealed that he asked for the said allegation to be recorded before ordering his lawyers to file a formal complaint against the said journalist.
Amoako-Attah said he was reacting to the question for the first time because it had reached a stage where the CID had completed preliminary investigations and believed that filing a complaint would be in order.
“The woman’s story went on air and remained an allegation, and I directed my lawyers to go to the right ward, CID headquarters, to have the truth investigated to find out if she had actually paid the bribe to Captain Smart and whether or not it was passed on to me.
“We wrote to CID, and the report came out. After a thorough investigation as to whether I received bribes, I am fully exonerated, and Captain Smart indeed took the money with the intent to corrupt me,” he noted.
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He stressed that he looked forward to the prosecution of the CID, especially since the report dated January 13, 2022, absolves him of any wrongdoing.
“If you look at the conclusion of the CID, they are ready to press charges. Just yesterday, my lawyers wrote to the CID headquarters that we look forward to the prosecution.
“They should go to court; that’s where all parties have another opportunity to clear their name. So that’s the problem,” he told the show’s host.
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The police CID, via an official statement, said it would file a complaint for fraud under false pretenses and for accepting and paying bribes to influence a public official against the journalist.
The issue relates to an allegation that began last year on Net2 TV that a businesswoman approached Captain Smart with the aim of helping him influence the minister on a piece of ground he was interested in.
It was the Minister who filed the case with the police after the allegation was reported in the media.
Captain Smart, in his reply, accused the government of using such frivolous subjects in an attempt to gag him; he said in the January 19 edition of his program that he remains fearless about storylines.
“That a person of my stature was given 10,000 GHC to go and influence the Minister of Roads. Can you imagine this rubbish? If so, then the Minister is very cheap. That I should influence him with 10,000 GHC.
“How is it that since 2018 you are now pursuing this case in 2022. I swear I have no idea of this nonsense that is just meant to implicate Captain Smart,” he said.
