Minister of State Rockson Bukari resigns over leaked audio tape

• Posted on April 29, 2019
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Minister of State at the Office of the President, Rockson Bukari has resigned, following a leaked audio tape in which he is heard allegedly trying to suppress the publication of a damning story against a mining firm and a judge in the Upper East Region.

A statement signed by the Director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin said Mr. Bukari submitted his letter of resignation to the President on Monday 29th April.

“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, 29^th April, 2019 accepted the resignation from office of Hon. Rockson Bukari, Minister of State at the office of the President.”

“This was after Hon. Rockson Bukari submitted his letter of resignation to the President on Monday, 29^th April, because he had  ‘taken note of the tape circulating in the media’ and had, therefore, taken the decision to resign  ‘in order not to allow the tape to disrupt the focus of the government in delivering on its mandate,’” the statement said.

Mr. Bukari in the leaked tape allegedly attempted to bribe Starr FM journalist, Edeti to kill a story against a judge and a Chinese mining firm when he was Upper East Regional Minister.

He denied the bribery allegation in a statement on Sunday, insisting he was only intervening.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Minister’s approach by way of pleading with Edeti is typical with his peace-making intervention approach to situations, and in this case, sought to avoid what he was informed was a misjudgment sought to be projected to hurt the reputation of a retiring judge in the region he had superintended as minister,” a statement from Rockson’s office said.