Mr. Anthony Saoud, the original owner of the ?Hotel Kufuor? and his son-in-law, Hon. Hendrix David Yeboah, have stated that all the questions Ghanaians are directing to them, should be directed to the President, John Agyekum Kufuor and his son, Chief John Addo Kufuor as they are capable of answering the questions themselves.
Speaking exclusively to your authoritative ?Ghana Palaver? in an interview at his residence in Accra, Mr. Saoud said, he is a businessman, selling his property, he has sold it and thank God, he has gotten his money, he has no business with anyone seeking to know where the money used in paying him came from.
?We would not have responded to all the allegations from a section of the media and Radio programme callers but we only came in because Ms. Giselle Yazoo mentioned my son-in-law in one of her interviews on Radio Gold so we were forced to clear our good names Mr. Saoud said.
?As a matter of fact, I can?t speak for the President and Chief Kufuor, they have answers to all the questions. If I knew there was going to be so much controversy over this Hotel and it was going to give me sleepless night, I would not have built it?, he added, when he was asked why he was answering all the questions while the President and his son were saying nothing.
?My interest, my whole interest in this Hotel saga,” Mr. Saoud said, “is I have built something and I want to sell it, so whoever comes, be he Chief Kufuor, an American, a Chinese, all I want is my money?, he added.
Asked if he had confided in friends and family members that he was pressurized to sell his building, Mr. Saoud said, he has not confided in anyone and that what he did was to ask friends and family members to help him sell his Hotel.
He said, he had even engaged the services of Pastors to pray for him and find out spiritually, if his decision to sell the property was a good one and also ask God?s guidance so he can get a buyer.
When he was asked about Ms. Gizelle Yajzi, the Hotel owner said, ?I had never met her before, but the first time I met her, I thought she was a nice lady, I did not have anything against her, but during the negotiations, I thought she was confused and was not telling me the truth, especially, when she said she would pay $2 million for the Hotel when I was asking for $5 million?.
Were you surprised when Chief Kufuor, who had come to see your son-in-law previously in connection with the Hotel, came with Ms. Yajzi, who was also hoping to buy the same property?, Mr. Saoud in reply said, ?I can?t say why he came with her, I didn?t know her, that was my first time of meeting her so whether she was coming to negotiate for herself or for Chief Kufuor, I wouldn?t know. All I know they both came and I didn?t like her negotiations”.
Mr. Saoud could not say if he would be against or supportive of a Parliamentary Enquiry saying, he is a Ghanaian, born and bred here, he is for anything and will co-operate if he is called upon.
Source: GhanaWeb
