{"id":597442,"date":"2019-03-08T18:14:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T18:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Government<\/span> has condemned a JoyNews documentary\u00a0which details the existence of a private militia trained at the Christiansborg Castle, an extension of the seat of government.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A\u00a0four-page statement signed by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah threw dozens of adjectives at the journalistic work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt only puts together conjecture, malice, mischief, sensationalism and unvalidated suspicions\u201d which contains \u201csignificant misrepresentations and misleading impressions,\u201d the statement said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Setting out to punch holes in the documentary, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah\u00a0said the\u00a0<\/span>Christiansborg\u00a0<\/span>Castle locate at Osu, where the group De-Eye trains, is not a security zone as claimed in the documentary done by Joy News\u2019 Manasseh Azure Awuni.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Osu Castle, he said, is neither an <\/span><\/span>annexe<\/span><\/span> of the Presidency even though f<\/span>our Ministers of state at the Office of the President are housed in the building.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is the Minister of state in <\/span>charge of Inner City and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Hamid; Minister of State in Charge of Special Development Initiative, Hawa Koomson; Minister of State in Charge of Planning, Professor Gyan Barfour<\/span>, as well as Minister of State at the Office of the President, Rockson Bukari.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The statement said the\u00a0Castle,\u00a0is a facility operated by the Museums and Monuments Board which is under the Tourism and Creative Arts ministry.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The statement said De-Eye group is a company involving in helping \u201cunemployed young men and women find jobs\u201d even though the documentary found it has a commander.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The government response said Manasseh Azure Awuni \u201cdeliberately\u201d failed to mention that National Security had closed down the office of the company in October 2018.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But Joy News\u2019 last filming of the documentary took place in December 2018. Joy News sources have also revealed Jubilee House officials and some soldiers moved in less than 24 hours after the expos\u00e9.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While the Information Minister admitted the leader of the group, Nana Wireko Addo with the alias \u201cChoman,\u201d\u00a0was a personal bodyguard to Nana Akufo-Addo, he said he was not a bodyguard when the NPP leader became a presidential candidate. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Giving more information on Choman, <\/span><\/span>government<\/span><\/span> said although he left Nana Akufo-Addo in 2010, he was given a new job as a member of a government taskforce set up to chase former government officials who still kept government vehicles and landed properties.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But after the <\/span><\/span>task force ended its work in August 2018, Choman converted his office for a private business office. The statement admitted<\/span><\/span>, \u201cthis should not have been allowed to happen in the first place.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Information Minister said the documentary, \u201cMilitia in the Heart of the Nation\u201d\u00a0fell short of the station\u2019s high standards and was convinced it is a deliberate attempt to cast in a \u201cnegative light\u201d against the President\u2019s fight on vigilantism.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Click here to read <\/span><\/span><\/span>government\u2019s<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0response\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

JoyNews will officially respond to the Information Ministry\u2019s\u00a0remarks at 5:30 PM GMT.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n