Ahead of the Ghana Journalists Association’s elections for new executives on June 24, 2022, a bribery allegation has emerged.
A member of the Association in the Western Region, Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu, has reportedly petitioned GJA’s election committee to investigate an alleged monetary inducement perpetrated by one of the three aspirants contesting the position of the GJA national president position.
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour is accused of getting members of the association in the Western region to be enticed with monetary inducements by a sponsor of his to vote for him.
Mr. Dwumfour is in the race with the editor of The Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu and a journalist and communications consultant, Gayheart Mensah.
“With tacit support from the Chairman of Tobinco Group of Company, Mr. Amoh Tobbin, 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,” Mr. Aklorbotu alleges in the petition,” reads the petition.
He adds, “Mr. Amoh Tobbin, 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 Mr. Opuni 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.”
A video clip of the meeting has since gone viral on social media.
In it, Mr Tobbin is heard saying if the election were political, 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.
The petitioner says the actions of Albert Dwumfour contravene “Article 52 (b) (c) and (d) GJA constitution 2004 that frown on bribery.
Mr. Dwumfour, who is the National Organiser of the GJA, is reported by The Fourth Estate news outlet as having confirmed that Mr. Tobin asked him to give all those at the meeting, Ghc500 each but that it was not meant as bribe.