<<Print>>

The largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament has accused government of indulging in a "farcical cover-up" on the Bulgarian Embassy demolishing report.

The Minority Caucus believes the Lands and Natural Resource Minister’s statement coming in the wake of the Sole Inquirer's report is a "preposterous attempt to shield state officials who have done great damage to our country’s image in the comity of nations."

Sole Inquirer

Following media reports of the demolishing of a building said to be the offices of the Bulgarian Embassy by some private individuals, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor, on 18th March, 2022, appointed Mr. Justice Kwasi Anto Ofori-Atta as Sole Inquirer to inquire into, not only the Bulgarian Embassy matter, but all matters relating to landed properties for diplomatic missions in the country.

Mr Ofori-Atta is a highly reputed retired Justice of the High Court, with vast experience in adjudication of land disputes.

149 Report & Recommendations

On Tuesday, 26th April, 2022, the Sole Inquirer presented his report with excerpts of its Executive Summary of the fi­­ndings recommending that; "Mr. Jojo Hagan should be sanctioned for not following due process in the eviction of the alleged trespassers and the demolition of the building and should be made to compensate the Bulgarian Embassy."
 
Again, the Sole Inquirer recommended in its one hundred and forty-nine (149) page report that "since the title to the land has not been determined by the Courts, it is advised that Government should intervene in finding an amicable solution to this matter."
 
Loud Silence

However, more than two weeks after the report was presented, the sector minister was not forthcoming with information on the subject matter. This prompted the NDC MP for South Tongu, Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa to take to social media and accuse the government of "a sleazy agenda to shield" certain appointees and also treating the report like a "nuclear code".

"Why is the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government treating the Sole Inquirer’s Report into the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy like a nuclear code? It’s been several weeks after government’s own initial 7-day timeline, and yet, all we see is a grand scheme of apparent official coverup and a sleazy agenda to shield the President’s appointee at the NDPC, “Demolishing Man” Dr. Yaw. Adu Ampomah.

"The diplomatic and international community is following this sordid affair, most keenly — Ghana cannot afford another damning international verdict after the recent spate of grim global assessments," he wrote on his Facebook timeline.

Lands Minister's Reponse

Days after the NDC MP's comments, the Sector Minister, Hon Jinapor issued a statement and indicated that, "since the registration of the assignment of Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah is found, as indicated in the Sole Inquirer’s report to have been improperly obtained, the Ministry has further directed the Lands Commission to take the necessary steps to withdraw the consent granted to the said assignment and registration of the interest of Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah.”

Hon Jinapor also revelaed that he has "written to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, to advice the Ministry" in respect of recommendation by the Sole Inquirer that;

“Mr. Jojo Hagan should be sanctioned for not following due process in the eviction of the alleged trespassers and the demolition of the building and should be made to compensate the Bulgarian Embassy."

Minority Fires Riposte

But the Minority Caucus seems not impressed.

Its Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, Okudzeto Ablakwa challenged the contents of the statement and alleged that the minister is attempting to "portray Jojo Hagan as a lone wolf" even when it is obvious he enjoyed great collaboration from state including officials and national security operatives.

While indicting government of swiftly arresting and prosecuting its political opponents, the group wondered why the sector minister "is now seeking advice from the Attorney-General on how sanctions should apply against the apparent scapegoat".

The Minority Caucus thus warned that, “these cover-ups and pathetic whitewash will not prevent a future NDC government from launching a full-scale, no-holds-barred probe and a strict regime of punishing all complicit officials in the entire value chain within a more credible, patriotic and internationally acceptable best practice effort to restore Ghana’s once enviable reputation within the diplomatic community.”



Below is the full minority statement:

NDC CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT’S REACTION TO THE GOVERNMENT’S STATEMENT ON THE DEMOLISHING OF THE BULGARIAN EMBASSY

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister’s statement on the infamous Bulgarian Embassy demolishing, regrettably, has all the qualities of a farcical cover-up and whitewash which confirms the suspicion we have always had based on the government’s opaque conduct in this sordid affair of monumental international embarrassment.

Apart from confirming that the Bulgarian Embassy was illegally demolished under their watch, the government’s statement is a preposterous attempt to shield state officials who have done great damage to our country’s image in the comity of nations.

The NDC Caucus in Parliament demands immediate answers to the following questions:

1) Why is the government refusing to publish the full report of the Sole Inquirer? What are they hiding?

2) Why is the government silent on its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which imposes a “special duty” on the Ghanaian government “to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity?”

3) Why is the government not identifying complicit officials at the Lands Commission for sanction when in the government’s own words: “Since the registration of the assignment of Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah is found, as indicated in the Sole Inquirer’s report to have been improperly obtained, the Ministry has further directed the Lands Commission to take the necessary steps to withdraw the consent granted to the said assignment and registration of the interest of Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah?”

4) How could Jojo Hagan be portrayed by the government as a lone wolf when he enjoyed great collaboration from agents of the state including officials of the Lands Commission all the way to operatives of the national security apparatus?

5) Why did the Sole Inquirer not invite the Bulgarian Ambassador, H.E. Yanko Yordanov, despite his spirited effort to be heard by the Sole Inquirer? Engaging only his subordinate, the Honorary Consul was most inadequate and inappropriate.

6) Why is the Lands Minister now seeking advice from the Attorney-General on how sanctions should apply against the apparent scapegoat, Jojo Hagan? Political opponents of this government are not treated with such kid gloves they are promptly arrested and prosecuted.

7) What is the nature and value of compensation Jojo Hagan owes the Bulgarians?

8)Why is there no specific time frame for redeeming the said compensation?

9) Why is the government protecting Dr. Yaw Adu-Ampomah, the President’s appointee at the NDPC, despite his clear complicity in inappropriately obtaining registration from the Lands Commission and defying the Foreign Ministry and Lands Ministry at various points as he continued with impunity to build his humongous structures?

10) Considering that these demolishing of diplomatic properties has happened twice only under this Akufo-Addo government in Ghana’s entire 65-year history (to the Nigerians and the Bulgarians), why is there no concrete finding(s) on the causes, deliberate fault lines being exploited and commitments/assurances to prevent this colossal diplomatic embarrassment from recurring?

Conclusion

The NDC Caucus in Parliament shall be pursuing these germane questions from Ministers of State when Parliament resumes next week.

We also wish to serve strong and unambiguous notice that these cover-ups and pathetic whitewash will not prevent a future NDC government from launching a full-scale, no-holds-barred probe and a strict regime of punishing all complicit officials in the entire value chain within a more credible, patriotic and internationally acceptable best practice effort to restore Ghana’s once enviable reputation within the diplomatic community.


Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP

[Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of Ghana]

17th May 2022.