A Deputy Minister of Information has thrown down the gauntlet to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to produce evidence that he anchored a radio programme and nearly caused a national bloodbath during the 2008 General Elections by inciting NDC youth to besiege the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) because there were alleged attempts to doctor electoral figures.

James Agyenim Boateng, who was speaking on Peace FM?s ?Kokrokoo? Morning Show on Wednesday, challenged anybody who has evidence to the contrary to provide it or else cease associating his name with the unfortunate scenes during the 2008 presidential run-off.

Earlier, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called Napo, had called into the programme seeking to clarify statements made by the deputy minister that he (Napo), together with some leading members of the NPP had gone to the Police headquarters demanding the release of embattled MP for Assin-North, Kennedy Agyapong, who has been charged with three counts of treason, treason felony and attempted genocide after declaring war as well as inciting Ashantis to attack Gas and Ewes on his own radio station, Oman FM.

Napo slammed the deputy minister for having the temerity to tongue-lash the Assin North MP for his outburst, when he (Agyenim) had made similar statements in 2008 that had the potential of destabilizing the peace of the country.

The EC headquarters in Accra was besieged on December 30th by hundreds of NDC supporters protesting the alleged manipulation of figures and who demanded their candidate be declared the winner. Ahead of a news conference scheduled for 1200GMT to release the official results, armed police and soldiers backed by water cannon trucks and an armoured personnel carrier, kept the protesters who had thronged the EC premises courtesy a Radio Gold broadcast, behind barricades.

But in a quick rebuttal, Mr. Agyenim Boateng insisted there was no ?iota of truth? in the allegations that he was at the helms of affairs during a live programme on Radio Gold that deliberately stirred the blood of NDC youth with the aim of instigating them to perpetrate violence against the EC during the 2008 election.