President Akufo-Addo
KRL International LLC has said a recent article published anonymously on the website, Open Source Investigations (OSI), has “deliberately misinterpreted public documents” which it filed with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2016 and 2017.
According to KRL, an international consulting firm helping governments, among other things, to restructure their economies, the website has concocted a story out of the public documents to imply that public funds were improperly used by the Government of Ghana to support political activities.
In a statement signed by its director, Laura Brunts, the firm explained that it had separate contracts to work with the campaign and with the government, which were financed separately, as appropriate, and made available under U.S. laws to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Indeed, KRL’s relationship with Nana Akufo-Addo dates back to his 2008 campaign. It has been transparent and proper. It is also not uncommon for a Washington-based consultant for a presidential candidate to be engaged separately for the government in the event of a successful campaign,” the company stated.
It pointed out that “Ghana is not unfamiliar with this. Open Source Investigation, which presents itself as an international investigative body, is but a partisan blog established in 2015 to publish largely defamatory content about the then candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.”
Mudslinging Campaign
The website, which was created in late 2015, has been cooking up stories against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and it is believed that its officials have been engaged by some elements of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In the heat of the 2016 general election, the site published critical pieces against the then presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), such as “USAID and WACD: Ghana to Become Narcotic-State if Akufo-Addo Elected”, “Akufo-Addo and the painful memories of John Agyekum Kufuor”, “Ghana: Charles Taylor’s Accomplice is Running for President”, and “The Devil’s Advocate” among others.
Defamation Reactivation
KRL International said the mudslinging campaign was reactivated this year by OSI website, noting that during this recent timeframe, KRL had been the subject of three attacks.
“OSI’s reports lack authors, attribution, facts-checking and credibility. KRL will be filing a formal Legal Complaint against the site once we can determine its ownership, management, and editorial team,” the US Company vowed.
According to KRL, none of this information put out there publicly disclosed the identities of people behind the reports, and said “journalists who cite their content should conduct their due diligence, or they put their own reputations at risk.”
Open Contracts
Mr. Brunts said prior to President Akufo-Addo’s inauguration on January 7, 2017, KRL had a contract with the “I Am for Nana Foundation” in support of his campaign, which was followed by an agreement with the Office of the President-elect to offer support during the transition period.
“Several months after President Akufo-Addo took office and established a cabinet, KRL signed its first agreement with the Government of Ghana to provide support to the Ministry of Finance,” he indicated.
He continued that pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), KRL has always submitted timely and transparent reporting to the US Department of Justice on its works with foreign governments and political parties.
“These reports are submitted twice annually: at the end of August, covering the six-month period of February 1 – July 31, and at the end of February, covering a reporting period from August 1 of the previous year through January 31,” he added.
KRL maintained that the document, which OSI cites as a “contract extension” dated 28 February 2017, is indeed a reporting document submitted to the Department of Justice on that date and added that this report refers to a “contract extension in this reporting period (August 1, 2016 – January 31, 2017) between KRL International LLC and the Office of the President-elect for Ghana.”
KRL explained that this extension covered support provided by it between the end of the campaign and the inauguration of the President.
“Other documents filed at this time also refer to the Office of the President-elect because KRL performed work for this client during the reporting period (August 1, 2016 – January 31, 2017).
“This documentation does not indicate that KRL performed work for or was paid by ‘the President-elect’ past the date of President Akufo-Addo’s inauguration; in any event, this agreement would have been null after the inauguration, as the entity of the “Office of the President-Elect’ no longer existed,” the company posited.
Proud Work
KRL noted that it is proud of its work in support of President Akufo-Addo’s 2016 campaign and its ongoing support to the Ministry of Finance.
“The firm has continued to engage international stakeholders and media houses on behalf of the Ministry for the past three years, supporting the promotion of initiatives, such as One District One Factory (1D1F), Planting for Food and Jobs, Ghana Beyond Aid, and resource mobilization for Covid-19,” it added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu