“Don’t Send Me Such Foolish Message Again!” K.T Hammond Fumes At Journalist Who Enquired Asset Declaration Status

When a journalist with The Fourth Estate asked the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond, about his asset declaration status, the lawmaker responded with insults.

The reporter had sent a text message asking for clarity from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) legislator for a story as part of the asset declaration series being published by The Fourth Estate.

Information The Fourth Estate obtained from the Audit Service indicates that the last time Mr. Hammond declared his assets and liabilities was in September 2016.

According to the Asset Declaration Law, he is supposed to have declared his assets and liabilities at least three times after the 2016 declaration. He was supposed to have declared his assets at the beginning of the Seventh Parliament in 2017 and the end of his tenure in 2020.

At the beginning of the Eighth Parliament in January 2021, the lawmaker was again required to declare his assets and liabilities.

Though the information from the Audit Service showed non-compliance, the reporter wanted to crosscheck that fact with K.T. Hammond and other MPs who had not declared their assets and liabilities.

He, therefore, contacted Mr. Hammond through a text message:

“My name is Paul Kofi Gozo, a journalist with The Fourth Estate. I am working on a story regarding MPs who have/haven’t declared their assets. Data we received from the Audit Service indicates that you haven’t declared your asset since January 2021 when you assumed your seat in the Eighth Parliament.

“I would be grateful if you could confirm or clarify whether you have declared your assets as required by the law. This will help me produce a balanced story. Please, get back to me as soon as you can. Thank you.”

In response, the MP angrily said:

“Nonsense. Who gave you that stupid information? And don’t send me such foolish message again.”

Mr Hammond is a six-term MP and has been in Parliament since 2001. The law requires that he should declare his assets and liabilities twice every four years.

But the available data from The Audit Service from 2013 to date, indicates he has done the declaration only once instead of five times.

Source: The Fourth Estate