A chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Daniel Bugri Naabu, has backed down on the murder allegation leveled against the Northern Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari, claiming it was “a slip of tongue”.
The Northern Regional NPP chair stated in an apology letter dated May 10 that he had no facts whatsoever to back his claim that the Regional Minister had a hand in the murder of Adams Mahama in 2015.
“I do not have any facts beyond the know (sic) police investigations on the matter and I am truly sorry to the minister, his family and all those I have hurt by those comments,” Mr Naabu stated in the letter.
He had earlier suggested in a radio interview Monday that Mr Bukari was involved in the murder of the late Upper East Regional chairman of the NPP, Adams Mahama, but fell short of the exact role played in the murder case which is currently before court.
“You could remember Adams Mahama who certainly died when he was bathed with acid…You’ll be surprised that some of these people who masterminded the killing of Adams have come to take positions in the government … like the Upper East Regional Minister. He was deeply involved in the masterminded killing of Adams,” Mr Naabu told Radio XYZ Monday.
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The Minister caused his lawyer, Sampson Lardy Ayenini, “to demand a retraction and apology” from Mr Naabu for what the lawyers described as defamatory comments.
Mr Naabu was given up to 6:00pm Wednesday to write the apology letter to retract his comments against Mr Bukari failure of which would result in a defamation suit against the former.
But with few hours to the deadline, Mr Naabu has unreservedly apologised to the Regional Minister, noting “those comments, regrettably though, was a slip of tongue and was not intended to denigrate him.
“Bukari is my brother and under no circumstance would I seek to tarnish his hard won reputation. Immediately my attention was drawn to the comment, I personally called him and apologized to him and his family unreservedly,” Mr Naabu stated in the letter.
Mr Naabu admitted his unfortuante comments which grabbed headlines “may have implications for an ongoing trial in the High Court
Meanwhile, Mr Ayenini, lawyer to the Regional Minister, has confirmed receipt of the apology letter to 3News.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana