Gov’t denies any hand in embassy demolition

A Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, has denied government involvement in a demolition exercise said to have been carried out on the building of the Bulgarian Embassy.

The Embassy, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments, Accra, was demolished by a private developer.

The MP for North Tongu and Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed worry over the development, suggesting it could mar Ghana-Bulgaria relations.

Response

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said all effort the government had put in place to work with the police to stop the private developer proved futile.

“Government has got no hands in whatever the developer is doing. In fact, I got involved in this particular Bulgarian issue on the express instructions of the President. It came to his attention when the Bulgarian Ambassador came to present his credence letters and the Ambassador raised it and the President asked me.

“Thereafter, the President called me and gave me instructions to go and sort it out. It was at that point that the President even mentioned the name of the trespasser to me, and that is how I got to know who the trespasser is,” Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong said.