The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has dismissed a publication by the Ghanaian Times newspaper on August 21, 2009, that the bodies of four Ghanaians executed in Libya in the year 2008, are being kept in a Libyan mortuary because the government of Ghana has not paid a repatriation fee of 3,500 US dollars on each of the bodies.

A statement signed by the Sector Minister, Hon. Mohammed Mumuni, and copied to Peace FM, described the publication as false and malicious and added that the bodies have been buried at the Benghazi Central cemetery in Libya.

The statement explained that one of the deceased, Asare Bediako, who converted to Islam while in prison, was buried in a marked grave. The remaining other three, were buried at the non-Muslim section of the cemetery in unmarked graves.

The statement clarified that, the family of the late J. K. Blankson, sought assistance from the Ghana Embassy in Libya to transport his mortal remains to Accra, but the money delayed, so the Libyan authorities had to bury him.

In the case of Samuel Ayitey, the family failed to raise the amount of money needed to transport his remains, so he was also buried after a 21-day mandate.

On Asare Bediako, the statement said, the family gave their consent for the deceased remains to be buried in Libya.

“As for Charles Ansah, no family member contacted the Ghana Embassy in Tripoli to claim the body, so he was also buried in Libya,” the statement indicated.

The Statement therefore said the Ghanaian Times report is inaccurate and false and called on the public to read the publication with a pinch of salt.