You are here: HomeNews2008 03 06Article 140351

Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 6 March 2008

Source: The Chronicle

Court orders sale of Ghana@50 assets

A Takoradi High Court, presided over by Justice B.K. Ofosu Quartey, has granted an order of fife to sell both movable and immovable property of Ghana@50 secretariat, to offset a GHc39,370 debt it owed Mr. George Osei, the Originator of the Freedom Flame Journey. The order follows the inability of the Ghana @50 secretariat to pay the said debt as ordered by the court.

George Osei, who is the plaintiff in the case sued the Ghana@50 for the recovery of the money, which should have been paid to him for coming out with the Freedom flame. The court's order was given in August last year. On February 23 this year, a bailiff from the High Court went to the premises of the secretariat at the AU village at Cantonments in Accra, where he attached the necessary notices for the execution of the order.

An official of the secretariat was said to have destroyed the notices and broke into the office to work. The action has irked the plaintiff and his solicitor, Amua-Sekyi who are now threatening to file contempt charges against the secretariat. George Osei, the plaintiff, a reporter of the Chronicle that barring any hitches his lawyer would initiate the contempt proceedings before the end of this week.

George Osei had also petitioned the office of the president drawing his attention to the fact that his con¬tract money has not been paid to him.

In the petition headlined "Payment for Organizing Freedom Flame Event", the petitioner wrote, "I am petitioning your good office as president of the republic on account of an incident of blatant non payment of our contract by the Ghana@50 Secretariat. I am the originator and creator of the flame journey, an event which traveled over 3000 kilometers across the length and breadth of the country lasting 15 days".

Osei subsequently appealed to the President to use his good offices to compel the CEO of the secretariat, Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby to respect the court order and pay him his money.