News:
May 26, 2011
The New Statesman Newspaper has conceded it goofed in its publication Wednesday which alleged that Information Minister, John Tia had built a 20-bedroom mansion on a waterway in Tema.
John Tia has denied the allegation and threatened to file a complaint against the New Statesman at the National Media Commission. Mr. Tia demanded that they retract the publication and apologise.
Meanwhile, the Editor of the New Statesman, Kwabena Amankwa told Joy News they got their attribution wrong.
“First and foremost we want to say that we are very sorry for the story and accordingly want to retract and apologise to the minister for that.”
He said the building in questioned is rather owned by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Alfred Sugri Tia.
In an interview with Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh, Mr Alfred Sugri Tia admitted ownership of a five-acre waterlog land which the building in question is situated on.
He said the land was acquired in 1988 for poultry farming but had to be closed down in the advent of the avian influenza virus (bird fluid) in 2007.
He said before the closure of the poultry farm, he acquired a permit from the Tema Development Corporation to start constructing a housing unit for himself and his workers in 2005.
He was however not sure of the number of rooms, noting “the rooms are about 18 thereabout, it could be 20; I am not too certain”.
According to the paper, the cost of the said building was hovering around GH¢2.5 million, but the deputy minister vehemently denied that, arguing that the yet-to-be roofed building would not cost more than GH¢100,000.
Source: Joy News