Silencing Captain Smart: Police Concoct Ghc25,000 Bogus Extortion Allegation Against Journalist

TV anchor, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, alias Captain Smart, a vociferous critic of the Akufo-Addo government has been accused of extorting money from a group of taxi drivers and a lady.

According to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, went extortionate on the taxi drivers and the lady after they had reached out to him for assistance to use the media to fight off a private developer who had intended to take over a reserved land.

Allegedly, Captain Smart extorted Ghc25,000 from his supposed victims. However, per a report by the Police, the money appears to be a gift token given to the reporter by the drivers and the lady out of their own volition, to be forwarded to Roads Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta.

The property at Achimota Mile 7 which taxi drivers were using as a terminal, had caught the interest of a private developer who had moved in to seize it. But, the taxi drivers and the lady teamed up to litigate against the private developer.

However, their efforts did not stop the private developer, and so they decided to enlist the help of Captain Smart, the popular Onua FM broadcaster, to use his platform to call attention to the issue.

According to the police report, through Smart’s broadcast, the issue came to the attention of the Roads Minister who went to stop the project.

Gifty Twumasi and three taxi drivers; Fred Boamah, Yaw Adu Rockson and Kwabena Anane, would visit the residence of Captain Smart to thank him with an amount of GHS10, 000 for his assistance.

According to the Police report, Captain Smart later led the four people to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to see the minister but could not meet the Minister.

The taxi drivers and the lady would again visit the residence of Captain Smart to hand over GHS25, 000 to him to be given to the Minister. Smart is said to have confirmed he received money for the Minister but insisted the amount was GHS10, 000 and not GHS25, 000.

“Investigation also revealed that in January 2019, Kwasi Amoako-Attah visited the reserved land at Achimota Mile 7 due to agitation by some taxi drivers concerning a private developer and halted the developer from work”.

“Investigation disclosed that somewhere in 2018, Mr. Amoako-Attah participated in a radio discussion hosted by Captain Smart and through that the suspect became close to the minister”.

“Captain Smart took advantage and subsequently visited the offices of the minister at the ministries and parliament but could not meet the minister in any of his visits,” the report stated.

The CID noted that its investigation could not adduce evidence that Mr. Amoako-Attah had knowledge of the money taken from the victim by Captain Smart.

It is not clear what the Police mean by extortion even though their own report indicates that the money had been brought to the house of Smart by the drivers out of their own volition.

Again, the fact that the issue happened in 2018 has raised eyebrows as to why the Police have all of a sudden become interested. And also, it is not known if there is a complainant involved.

Indications are that there is a long arm of government involved. Mr. Smart has been very critical of the Akufo-Addo government and was recently arrested for criticizing the Akufo-Addo government over its intransigence on the unpopular e-levy.