Mr. Samuel Okudzeto, leveled claims against the ministry over high cost of 100-year-old 6-bedroom converted property into Ambassador’s Residence and Chancery for the Ghana’s new Mission in Oslo Norway.
The NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu alleged that the said property was bought by a certain woman in 2014 at the cost of $2.9 million and resold to an unknown buyer for $3.5 million in August last year (2017).
According to him, it was surprised that the Ministry in its budget presentation to the Foreign Affairs committee in Parliament said they were purchasing the same building in 2018 for $12.2 million.
Mr. Okudzeto tabled his documents as an evidence for the Speaker, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye to ascertain his claim of inflation of the price of the property, but the Speaker ruled that the documents are not permissible because they are not verifiable.
But the sector Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in a sharp rebuttal on the floor of Parliament debunked that allegations explaining that the Ministry has even backtracked from the transaction after it came to their notice that, the same property was offered to the Gambia at a different cost.
*** Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
She stated that no agreement has been signed for the procurement of the 100-year refurbished building to be used for the Chancery and Ghana’s Ambassador to Norway Residence.
She admitted that though the Ministry has expressed interest in some properties in Norway, it has not entered into any agreement as claimed by the Minority on the floor of Parliament.
According to her, she has since asked her officials to look elsewhere for a property at a lower price to rent or buy for the purpose.
