Deputy Minister of Finance Fiifi Kwettey has challenged the authenticity of a publication in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Guide newspaper which claimed he and the sector minister, Dr Kwabena Dufuor, went missing during this year’s annual meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC. According to the paper, while all the delegates to the meeting where seated at the Constitutional Hall by 10am on Friday, the two, representing Ghana, arrived at the venue 54 minutes late. Read the report But reacting to the story on Joy FM Tuesday, Mr Kwettey downplayed the credibility of the report and accused the paper of being economical with the truth. “It is not the case at all that we arrived at that place 54 minutes late as the Daily Guide is obviously trying to mischievously portray,” he said, and further stated that they both sat through the full plenary session and were indeed there when all the addresses were made. He however said the meeting at the Constitutional Hall was just a fraction of the numerous meetings they were scheduled to attend within the week, noting that Ghana’s delegation attended two of such meetings before arriving at the said plenary session. “[We have to] attend close to 50 very, very important meetings in a week.” “It is important also to realise that the plenary session is not exactly where the real business get done. And when Daily Guide creates an impression as if somehow we lost an opportunity to speak for our country at the plenary that should tell you the extent in which the reporter was completely misinformed.” Even though the paper backed its story with a picture which shows empty seats labelled Ghana, Mr Kwettey pointed out that the picture was taken way before the session began. But the Editor of Daily Guide, Fortune Alimi ridiculed the Deputy Minister’s rebuttal and mocked that the delegation might have been “drinking tea” somewhere leading to their lateness. He however maintained that what was reported by the paper was factually based without any ill-motives. He also accused the Deputy Minister of extending his propaganda prowess into serious government business. “The fact of the matter is that nobody is sitting there, the minister wasn’t there, Fiifi Kwettey himself wasn’t there, so it took the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission to save the situation. So the fact of the matter is that they were not just there, they were late he should just admit it, instead of going round saying all sorts of things.” Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana