Chairman of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Limited, Philip Ayesu, has said an alleged conversation between himself and some alleged influential persons about a scheme to take over PDS shares is a complete fabrication.

The recording has been widely circulated on social media platforms and the voices on the tape, one of which has been attributed to Mr Ayesu, are alleged to be scheming to distribute the shares of PDS among themselves.

Responding to the alleged conservation and the subsequent reports on it by some online news outlets, Mr Ayesu said such a discussion never happened.

‘It is but an elaborate fabrication with the help of an artificial intelligence-based software.  It only reminds me of the reported voice spoofing video recording of President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi which was exposed by CNN and recently a similar recording of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Opposition leader Corbyn,” Mr Ayesu said in a press release.

The headlines grabbing termination of the power concession agreement between the government of Ghana and PDS was attributed to challenges with the financial guarantee provided for the deal.

Under the deal, PDS was to take over management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in a bid to improve electricity distribution across the country. The deal was also a condition for Ghana to access huge funds under the Campact agreement with the United States.

Related: Gov't outlines new line of action after terminating PDS contract

Government explains that it terminated the deal because it detected fundamental and material breaches of PDS’s obligation in the provision of payment securities (demand guarantees) for the transaction.

Critics, mostly the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some Civil Society Organisations, have said the deal was bad from inception and have bashed the government for failing to observe due diligence.

Read My Ayesu’s full response below.

PHILIP AYESU RESPONDS TO FAKE VOICE RECORDING

My attention has been drawn to a 29th November, 2019, Ghanaweb publication headlined: “PDS SCANDAL...” of an alleged recording of a conversation between myself and Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, discussing PDS shares.

I would like to put on record that this is a mischievous and totally fabricated story. It never happened. I have never hazarded the thought of owning 40% of the shares in PDS, and never owned anything close to that amount of shares in PDS for any person to have suggested to me for my shares to be reduced below 40%, and the records faithfully attest to this. I have never discussed any such thing with my lawyers or other shareholders, let alone with a third party.

I can strongly confirm that the said recording is fake and pregnant with mischief to score an expensive political point using me as a pawn, since no such conversation ever occurred. It is but an elaborate fabrication with the help of an artificial intelligence-based software.  It only reminds me of the reported voice spoofing video recording of President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi which was exposed by CNN and recently a similar recording of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Opposition leader Corbyn.

Suffice to say, in any event, as an individual entrepreneur, I am at liberty to take advice from anybody I choose and also discuss with whomever I wish to discuss my private business, without the remote threat of breaching any law or agreement with any other party. But, it must be stressed that this particular purported conversation with Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko never happened.  It is purely false and fake.

The perpetrator of this falsehood has been persistent in lies about myself and PDS in which one of my other companies has some equity participation and even extends it to my advisors.

I have consistently resisted any urge to respond to issues which have come into the public domain; however, the circulation of a conversation purportedly involving me which borders on criminality warrants a response and the taking of appropriate actions.

I have referred this defamatory mischief calculated to tarnish my hard-earned reputation to my lawyers and will be lodging a complaint with the Ghana Police Service.

Thank you.

Signed

Philip Ayesu