Bulgarian Embassy Demolition: You are not involved? – Kwesi Pratt slams Gov’t

Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr has slammed government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for distancing itself from the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy in Ghana.

According to him, government has a  duty to protect diplomatic missions in the country including the Bulgarian Mission adding the demolishing of the embassy constitutes an act of war.

He questioned government’s statement denouncing its involvement when personnel of the Police Service supervised the exercise.

““I can’t believe what is happening. This doesn’t happen in any civilized society, this can only happen in a banana republic. An embassy, a fully accredited diplomatic mission, embassy and then people wake up with gaggles and so on under the protection of the police and demolish and embassy what flagrant violation of the Geneva conversion. Unbelievable! And am told our ministry of foreign affairs says oh we are not involved. You are not involved? The Ghana government is enjoined to provide protection for diplomatic missions. Is our duty to provide protection to diplomatic missions to make sure that this doesn’t happen. I am so embarrassed; I am so embarrassed I don’t know what to say”.

““I mean what is this, how can this happen and they people went and demolish an embassy. In fact this is an act of war. This is a declaration of war. To go and demolish an embassy is an act of war. It is a declaration of war. And we are sitting down all we can say is that we didn’t order that. When the police service is involved how government can say we didn’t know, we didn’t order it. Jesus Christ. This is what Ghana has come to; this is what Ghana has come to unbelievable”

Mr Pratt made the comment on Pan African TV‘s Good Morning Africa on Thursday, March 17 monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

He described the development as another low point for the country.

We have no hand in the demolishing of Bulgarian Embassy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Press Conference on Wednesday, March 16, denied any involvement in the demolishing of the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra.

According to them, the property located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments in Accra was demolished by a private developer and government had no hand in it.

“Government has got no hand in whatever the developer is doing,” the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong told the media.

The property is said to have been lease to the embassy by one late Theophilus Kofi Leighton in February 1, 1979 and subsequently extended for 50 more years from 1983 during which the embassy paid 1 million old Cedis with the option of renewal for another 50 years.

Documentation on the said transaction is still available and is expected to expire in 2033.

Source: GhanaPlus.com