Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George says there is no way he is going to apologise or retract his comment that the real estate business in Ghana is largely used for money laundering.

The Executive Council of the Ghana Real Estate Association (GREDA) has demanded an apology and a retraction of the allegation.

“Let me start by stating that I have absolutely no intention to render an apology, qualified or not, nor make any retraction. As a public office holder, I am minded first by my fidelity to the truth, my conscience and the general wellbeing of the Ghanaian people. These considerations in my opinion supersede the whims of any individual or specific grouping,” he noted in a release dated July 26, noted.

Read also: GREDA gives Sam George 7 days to retract allegation

Mr George described as shocking and disappointing GREDA’s disapproval of the allegation.

“It is shocking that an association like GREDA would seek to play the ostrich and display publicly the malaise that bedevils our beautiful Nation - hypocrisy!”

Clarifying the statement he made on Newsfile on Saturday, he said: “In my statement, I said there was money laundering in the real estate sector of Ghana and went ahead to explain what I meant and how it is carried out. I am surprised the GREDA Executive Council is seeking to ascribe the criminal activities to ALL of its members when no such allusion was made by me nor the host who actually introduced the subject of real estate into our conversation.

“It is akin to me getting offended by the statement that "all politicians are thieves" when I have never stolen public funds nor have US$1 million stashed in my house or anywhere in the world. That statement cannot apply to me but importantly, it does not make it false as there are some politicians whose wealth cannot be legally explained.”

He also stated that he believes his position on the matter is shared by the majority of Ghanaians, and he encouraged GREDA to pursue any option mentioned in their release.

He added that their legal action “may open a vista for a wider investigation into a sector that we may not have looked at closely.”

The Ningo Prampram MP stated that he would be inviting the Special Prosecutor's Office to investigate certain developments in the sector in the coming days.

“I believe the Special Prosecutor must look at the due diligence processes your members [GREDA] undertake when selling property to prospective buyers, issues of dollar-denominated transactions against Bank of Ghana regulations, failure to pay VAT and full tax obligations to the GRA on property sales and a number of issues that worry the mind of discerning Ghanaians,” he said.