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Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, has sought to downplay a report by Whistle-blower website, WikiLeaks that claims the seasoned journalist told officials of the US Embassy that Nana Akufo-Addo, New Patriotic Party flagbearer smoked marijuana. Though he admits having a formal meeting with some US officials at the US Embassy at the behest of the country�s Embassy, the Editor of the Insight Newspaper says he cannot readily recall what really transpired at the said meeting. When asked repeatedly in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM�s Kokrokoo Morning show, if he had ever stated that Nana Addo puffs so much so that there is �a cloud of marijuana smoke around him� each morning, Mr Pratt said it is not his principle to go telling third parties of confidential information he had of persons he knew intimately. �Even when you�ve been quoted as having said something you cannot readily recall?� Kwami pressed �I am not the only person WikiLeaks has bandied allegations about�even former President Kufuor and Nana Akufo Addo�but to be honest with you, this is three years ago. Besides, whatever it is, my principle is very simple; you don�t get to know people only to publicly grass up on them, I think it is most unfortunate,� Pratt replied. According to him, there was no recording or note taking in the one hour discussion he had with the Americans yet �they (Wikileaks) are able to write a report in quotation marks, unless of course they had a secret recorder or have the swiftest human mind�. On Nana Addo's alleged use of drugs as captured in the Wikileaks report, the seasoned journalist told Gary Pergl, Officer in charge of the Political Desk of the US Embassy that: �Nana Akufo-Addo used to smoke a lot of marijuana... and I'm telling you, a lot. Even in the morning, there used to be a cloud around him and you could see that he was high.� When Sefa Kayi again asked if he was sure he never opened up on the NPP Flagbearer's alleged drug use since Wikileaks quotes him, Mr Pratt could not boldly say "Yes" or "No". "...things are a bit hazy. Initially I couldn�t even remember talking to them so how can I be so sure about what was said and what was not said; I cannot be sure. I can confirm that there was such a meeting in my office with Americans at the request of the US embassy but to stick my neck out and say that this was what was said and so on, it is a bit difficult for me...There are some things which are attributed to me which are my public well-known positions...so it is reasonable to assume that i might have said so...All i'm saying is that all the other things which were said, first of all even if you assume that i said them, they were matters of confidence and matters of confidence are not for public consumption. Number two, this conversation took place three years ago...so there's some haziness therefore i think its important for everybody to be cautious,� he answered. To him, there were more important issues that the nation needs to address than this fetishism with the marijuana and cocaine bit from Wikileaks and stressed that it was not for the US to tell Ghanaians how to run their politics. ��For me the fundamental question is, 'what do we do about our national security?' That is the most important question for me...WikiLeaks wrote more damning things about our former heads of state which is more dangerous�it is a serious security problem if government officials are trooping to the US Embassy to secretly give out information�I don�t think the US should come and say how we should govern our country. These Diplomats who come here are not better than some of us, we may be better off than some of them. It is shameful and worrying we should allow the US to become tin gods,� said Kwesi Pratt. "Kwesi, you've known Nana Addo for well over twenty or thirty years, should someone ask you if you are aware he's smoked marijuana before, what will be your response?" Kwami prodded once again. "I won't bother answering...i'v always said what he does in his private life is not my concern...I have never stated publicly anywhere that Nana Addo is a wee smoker, NEVER!" Kwesi Pratt replied.