We Haven’t Paid for Oslo Property – Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has denied signing an agreement for the procurement of a Chancery and Ambassador’s Residence for its mission in Norway.

In a statement to the media, the Ministry said although it has expressed interest in some properties in Norway, it is yet to enter into an agreement with the owners of the properties, contrary to claims by the minority in Parliament.

The Minority in Parliament led by its Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa leveled claims of cost inflation against the ministry over the conversion of a 100-year-old 6-bedroom house in Oslo Norway, into Ghana’s new mission in Norway.

Ablakwa alleged that the property was bought by a certain woman for $2.9 million in 2014 and sold to an unknown buyer for $3.5 million in August 2017, and so it was surprising that the ministry in a presentation to the Foreign Affairs committee said it was purchasing the same building for $12.2 million in 2018.

The statement added that “The ministry strongly rejects the unfounded claims by the Rankling Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and a section of the Minority that seeks to give the erroneous impression that the Ministry was engaged in some fraudulent transaction with the owners of the two properties,” the statement added.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who was confronted on the matter in Parliament on Monday said following a publication in a Norwegian newspaper alleging an inflation of the price of the Chancery by the owner, she had ordered that processes for the acquisition of the two properties to be discontinued.

“Mr. Speaker, we obviously realized that this was the same property that had been recommended by my officers. Last week Wednesday, I stopped them from going ahead to proceed on any act of acceptance. So as we speak, Mr. Speaker, I am even told that the Landlord is going ahead with others. No money has exchanged hands; and we don’t have a contract that will bind us to purchase that property; and it’s on hold, and I have instructed and directed that we look for other properties, and if we do not find properties, we can at least start renting for both the chancery and the residence, whiles we look for an appropriate property to buy.