Former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama has taken strong exception to a publication that he took away peacocks and peahens from the Castle Gardens when the previous administration was leaving office. The enquirer newspaper published in its November 6, 2009 edition that the birds, which numbered about 60 in 2001 when ex-President Rawlings was leaving the Osu Castle, have all “vamoosed leaving behind only 7.” Alhaji Aliu Mahama confirmed to Joy News he has some peacocks at his residence but he says they were gifts he received while in office. His aide Abdul Wahab Alhassan said the Enquirer must retract and apologize for the publication. Abdul Wahab described the allegation as false and called for an unqualified apology from the paper. “The former vice president had nothing to do with the Castle peacocks and it will be very… interesting for anybody to suggest that we went away with peacocks from the Castle. “How could the former vice president manage to arrest a peacock…? That is outrageous,” Mr Alhassan quizzed in an interview with Joy News’ Seth Kwame Boateng. Mr Alhassan said the newspaper had been “unfair to the person of the vice president” and must immediately publish a retraction. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana