Former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yaw Osafo Maafo has said he suspects that the circulating “doctored” tape in which he purportedly made some outrageous ethnic comments was leaked by a member of the New Patriotic Party.

He said only NPP members were present at the close door meeting held for the Council of Elders in Koforidua where he made certain pronouncements about the country’s economy and the how the party can capitalize on recent developments to win the elections in 2016.

Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, the former presidential aspirant said either the person who recorded the voice did it for monetary purposes or has personal issues with him.

He said no other person should be blamed for the leaked tape but members of the NPP.

He however explained that, it was possible that an outsider planted a recorder at the venue of the conference before the meeting began, because a text message which was sent round to inform members about the meeting could have been intercepted by a non-member of the party.

Mr Maafo is alleged to have said in the recording that the country's wealth cannot be spread in only five regions including Ashanti, Eastern Western, Brong Ahafo only for a person who does not hail from any of these regions to be elected as president.

But he stressed that the contents of the tape were “doctored” and that there was no way he could have made those comments.

He said the doctored tape was deliberately leaked to divert attention from the impact of the ‘wᴐn gbo’ demonstration which was intended to draw government’s attention to its inefficiencies.

For a party which is supposed to stay united as it fights to win power in 2016, Mr Maafo said he finds it inexplicable that someone from the party will perpetrate such an act.

Mr Maafo said he has friends across the country with most of them being northerners and so it is impossible for him to have made such uncomplimentary statements.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the former Minister cannot hide behind modern technology to deny making those ethnic comments which could potentially divide the country.

Deputy Communications Director of the NDC Fred Agbenyo says the party has incontrovertible evidence to prove that Maafo indeed made the comments he has so vehemently denied.