Accra, July 7, GNA - Government on Tuesday asked the management of Joy FM, a private radio station in Accra to substantiate its claims that the Ghana Real Estate Developer's Association (GREDA) withdrew its petition against the STX Housing Project from Parliament because of death threats received by executives of the Association.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Information in Accra and signed by Mr John Tia Akologu, Minister of Information, said government had directed the security agencies to investigate the claim because death threats were not to be handled lightly.

"Government has taken note of a Joy FM report that claimed that its sources have confirmed to it that the Ghana Real Estate Developer's Association (GREDA) withdrew its petition against the STX Housing Project from Parliament because of death threats received by executives of the Association," the statement said.

It said "Government is deeply offended by the Joy FM publication and demands that the management of the station substantiates its claims immediately or retracts the allegations and apologises to the President, Government and people of Ghana accordingly.

It said "Government finds it curious that the radio station presented no shred of evidence to support its false claim. GREDA Executive Secretary Sammy Amegayibor, speaking ironically on a Joy FM sister station, Asempa FM on the same day (July 6, 2010) denied the claim of death threats, explaining that they came to their decision after further interactions with the Parliamentary Select Committees on Finance and Housing". The statement noted that despite these denials, management of the radio station went ahead to rebroadcast severally the false claim and published it on its news website.

"Though the false claim of a death threat was not linked to any particular group, any discerning person is likely to conclude that since Government is the chief promoter of the STX deal, then Government might be behind the threat.

"This linkage was made stronger when Joy FM proceeded to claim falsely that some GREDA members were afraid their contracts with Government would be abrogated hence the change of mind," it added.

The statement said the station, by this wild and deliberately concocted report cloaked in investigative pretensions, sought to cause fear and anxiety amongst the business community and the general citizenry. "Government, however, wishes to assure the people of Ghana including the business community of their safety and protection and the security of their interests and investments," it said.

The statement said publications like this did not only cast a slur on Government but on the entire image and credibility of Ghana and on the form of democracy all and sundry professed to practice.

"Like all Ghanaians, Government remains proud that Ghana has been described as the number one country in Africa in press freedom; nevertheless we also want to be proud of a responsible press devoid of lawlessness," the statement said. 7 July 10