In September 2004, media reports accused Alban Bagbin of having sexual intercourse with his sister-in-law however Mr Bagbin said: “No! It’s not true.”
Recommended articles
When asked whether he had sexual intercourse with his sister-in-law on Accra-based Starr FM, Mr Bagbin said: “No! It’s not true.”
On September 17, 2004, the Weekend Crusading Guide broke the story that a top politician had an affair with his sister-in-law. Even though, the paper did not mention a name, a follow-up conducted by Daily Guide named Alban Bagbin.
READ ALSO: NPP will fight soon - Bagbin
The media accused Mr Bagbin of having sexual encounters with his 17-year-old sister-in-law at a time when he had issues with his wife. The story claimed Mr Bagbin impregnated the teenager and subsequently rented a separate apartment for her.
However, Mr Bagbin said the allegation was aimed at smearing him. “You know, we were getting into elections and my opponents came at me and that time I had some disagreement with my very good senior Freddie Blay and I think all worked [for] their paper, and so it was Daily Guide that published it. It’s not true that.”
“I mean you don’t stop and throw stones at any dog that barks at you when you are moving. If you do that you will never reach your destination. I was focused on winning my elections, so, I went to campaign.”
READ ALSO: I am corrupt - Alban Bagbin admits
Mr Bagbin was quick to add that it is not a taboo within his tradition to have sexual relations with his sister-in-law.
“In any case, in my area, it’s a norm, it’s accepted. Traditionally [it is accepted] because we are paternal. But no, I never did that.”
He said the controversy came about after people heard his interview with Accra-based Joy FM on the allegation.
READ ALSO: NHIS is brainchild of NDC - Alban Bagbin
“When I was asked a question on Joy FM about it, I told Joy FM that there was a time that we had to discuss the possibility of me marrying her and they asked whether we had intimacy and I tried to know what that meant. Then I said yes, so, because of that answer, people just read into it and said [I had slept with my sister-in-law]. This was in 1990,” the veteran MP said.
When asked his explanation of ‘intimacy’ Mr Bagbin said: “No, I never impregnated her, I didn’t have a child by her. … You know she actually grew up in our hands from a very tender age. My wife picked her up and then we brought her up, but when we left for Libya she was left in the hands of other people and then she dropped out of school and so, on returning from Libya we had to go back and take her and try to educate her and salvage her, we worked hard at her, she is still in Accra working and taking care of herself. But that was politics for you and I told my class in GIMPA about this and they were all shocked because they all believed it …”