New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman aspirant Paul Afoko has dismissed claims that he owns the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, clarifying that he only has a business interest in the luxury property.
Mr Afoko's comments come in response to longstanding speculation that he is the owner of the hotel.
Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV on Tuesday, July 21, Mr Afoko said he does not own the hotel outright but acknowledged his investment in it.
"I don't own Kempinski Hotel. I can't own it outright, but I have an interest in it. That I'm not going to run away from," he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that his involvement in the project was due to his relationship with former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
According to Mr Afoko, the hotel was financed through a combination of loans and equity. "We built it on loans, a little bit of equity," he said.
He explained that the project was financed with a small amount of equity from four partners, with the bulk of the funding coming from loans from the African Development Bank and Ecobank.
Mr Afoko further revealed that following his suspension as National Chairman of the NPP, he shifted his focus to managing his business interests, including his investments in the hospitality sector. He also ventured into farming during his time away from active politics.
Asked whether he missed politics during his decade away, Mr Afoko admitted he did but said he exercised a lot of self-control to avoid speaking out on issues.
