Government has described as falsehood speculation in the public domain that the ancient Christianborg Castle, popularly known as Osu Castle, is for sale.
Officials at the Flagstaff House who did not want their names to be mentioned because they are not authorized to speak on the matter said the purported sale of the Castle which until 2012 served as the seat of the government is just a mere prank.
They described the purported sale of the ancient building as a deliberate attempt to denigrate the presidency, especially, President John Dramani Mahama.
The New Free Press newspaper last week reported that there are attempts by the government to sell Osu Castle to a Brazilian Company called Brazil Invest Group and called on president Mahama to suspend that decision.
According to the newspaper, the castle was to be sold next month to the Brazilian company for US30million. The facility which is located on the Atlantic Coast’s Gulf of Guinea, the paper noted, will be turned into a hotel complex and a casino.
The paper further reported that the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, a Minister of State at the Presidency, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and a special Advisor to the president, Alhaji Baba Kamara, are the lead negotiators on behalf of the government.
However, officials at the presidency say there had never been any discussion over plans to sell the Cristiansborg Castle which was built in the colonial days by the Danes.
They said the three persons named by the newspaper as negotiators on behalf of the government have never met any Brazilian investor over the sale of the Osu Castle.
They have therefore urged the public to treat the said publication with the contempt that it deserves.
Our sources maintained that, the story was not only a deliberated attempt by the saboteurs of government to denigrate the President and his officials but also a great dark day for the inky profession.
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