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By Nkem Agunwa<\/a> and Joojo Cobbinah<\/a><\/p>\n A political firestorm erupted in Ghana after a video surfaced of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the former ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), making a disturbing promise to small-scale miners. Speaking at a campaign event, he assured them that the government would return all seized excavators and allow them to operate without interference.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will give all seized excavators back to you so you can do your work peacefully,\u201d he declared, flanked by party supporters. \u201cThis will help everyone get money to fend for themselves and contribute to the development of their communities. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will not collapse small-scale mining.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Within minutes, the <\/span>clip<\/span><\/a> went viral, sparking intense debate. Could this really be true? Given Ghana\u2019s long-standing battle against illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, and its devastating impact on forests and water bodies, the implications of his statement were enormous. For environmental activists, the video was nothing short of a nightmare. However, before journalists could investigate further, Dr. Opoku Prempeh\u2019s campaign team issued a swift response, dismissing the footage as a doctored fake. Journalists across the country were stunned. One, clearly exasperated, remarked, \u201cWhat kind of gaslighting is this? Are they seriously trying to make us question what we just saw in multiple videos?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The challenge of verifying the truth<\/b><\/p>\n The statement by Dr. Opoku Prempeh, recorded from a campaign stage with a sign language interpreter translating his words, presented a unique challenge. Seeking to trace the truth, Ghanaian media outlet GHOne consulted two independent sign language interpreters. Their findings? Two different interpretations. This only deepened the confusion. Determined to uncover the truth, journalists in Ghana analyzed multiple versions of the video uploaded to social media, each showing a different angle. In every version, Dr. Opoku Prempeh\u2019s words remained unchanged. Yet, the claim of manipulation persisted, forcing journalists to consider forensic video analysis to prove the authenticity of the video.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Ghana, newsrooms faced a critical obstacle: they lacked the tools and expertise for such a detailed investigation. The need for expert verification became urgent. That\u2019s when they turned to <\/span>WITNESS\u2019 Deepfakes Rapid Response Force<\/span><\/a>, a global team of media forensic specialists who provide timely assessments of suspected deepfakes.<\/span><\/p>\n Verification outcome in the age of political manipulation\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n As soon as the campaign team labeled the video as fake, the stakes grew even higher. This was no longer just about one political statement, it was about the lengths politicians (or their opponents) might go to distort reality and manipulate public perception.<\/span><\/p>\n\n