Samuel Abu Jinapor
In a latest development, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has strongly refuted claims made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, alleging that the government is obligated to pay the Bulgarian Embassy an amount of GHS 5,383,000.00 following the demolition of the embassy’s building in 2017.
Contrary to the assertions put forth by Ablakwa, the Ministry issued a statement on July 18, 2024, categorically denying these allegations as false and unfounded.
The Ministry clarified that the land on which the Bulgarian Embassy’s building stood was not granted to them by the government, and the demolition was not carried out by government authorities.
According to the Ministry’s statement, the government only intervened in the matter due to the involvement of a Diplomatic Mission in Ghana, emphasizing that the actions taken were solely in response to diplomatic considerations rather than any legal liability on the part of the government.
Moreover, the Ministry emphasized that the government is not required to make any payment to the Bulgarian Embassy in the amount specified by Ablakwa, debunking his claims with reference to the findings of the Sole Inquirer appointed to investigate the incident. Instead, the Ministry clarified that the recommended compensation of GHS 5,383,000.00 is to be paid by one Jojo Hagan, in accordance with the inquiry’s outcome.
The Ministry further stressed that engaging all relevant parties to ensure compliance with the recommendation is underway.
It highlighted that any insinuations suggesting that the government is responsible for the payment to the Embassy are misleading and aimed at causing unwarranted public discord against the government.
The incident in question took place in 2017 when the Bulgarian Embassy’s building, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments in Accra, was demolished by a private developer, sparking a legal dispute that has now garnered attention due to the alleged involvement of governmental obligations.
By Vincent Kubi