Accra, May 16, GNA - Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Information, on Monday categorically denied that he has purchased a house in the US.

In a statement issued in Accra, the Deputy Minister said he had instructed his lawyers to take immediate action to preserve his name.

The statement read: 93My attention has been drawn to a publication which makes the claim that I have purchased a house in Texas, USA.

"I wish to state for the records that I have not paid for or own any house in the USA or any other country for that matter. Clearly, this publication is a cowardly and wicked fabrication.

"If the media outlets especially Modernghana.com and Ghanaweb.com that first put out this fabrication were minded to pursue accepted basic journalistic standards, they would have found out that no such newspaper or magazine as The Africa Standard exists in the first place and there has been no such publication anywhere for them to credit this scurrilous story to. I would therefore expect them to do the honourable thing.

"In the mean time, I have referred the matter to my lawyers to take immediate action to preserve my good reputation."