Tarzan Runs VRA With Illegal Wife

.....Pleasure trips galore and hints of bigamy
IN THE most unkind cut of all, the Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Dr. Charles Wereko- Brobby, has appropriated a woman from the ranks of the public institution he is expected to run, tapped her for his personal amorous pleasures, flown her on first class trips to the United States, and then to the United Kingdom, luxuriated in four-star luxury in British hotels and finally decided to tie her to a ‘golden’ bed in ‘golden handcuffs.’

Under Section 284, Chapter 24 of the Constitution, dealing with the code of conduct of public officers, the law states that “a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.”

Chronicle extensive monitoring of this most important of public institutions picked up these bizarre developments that appear to show a problematic conflict of interest scenario in the position of the VRA chief. His affair with his ‘internalist’ and the appearance of ‘favourable’ attention she seems to be enjoying is stirring hints of displeasure among employees at VRA who are at war with Tarzan.

Chronicle is aware of a situation where a 57 year old lady of extraordinarily high moral and professional standard has had her promotion frozen because she questioned what appears to be a fraudulent transaction in the award of a contract to a company called Quorum.

The lady, who was in the Finance department, was pushed away to Pegasus House and asked to go and handle pensions. She wrote in a document authorizing that the contract worth about ?51 million had been mysteriously changed to $51,000 (about 350 million) by Wereko-Brobby. When the poor lady called Wereko-Brobby’s attention to this, he bellowed at her and she humbly took down the notes and sauntered off.

Chronicle reporters, Kofi Coomson and stringer Steve Larbi, last year quietly confronted Tarzan in his house and Kofi being a very close friend of Tarzan told him, “How could you be so silly to do a thing like this?” whereupon Tarzan invited the two to his office to show supporting statements to prove that it was not the case. He could never produce it.

The woman, who has 30 years unblemished service at VRA and a lay preacher, is also a professional finance executive who also graduated from Harvard with a Masters in Public Administration (MPA).

She now works directly under Mrs. Harriet Wilson as a manager while her junior whisked past her. “She can be the CEO of VRA and no one will complain except that she is a little too nice,” said a staffer who knows her, but her courage and integrity is not rewarded.

Last month Chronicle ‘vigilante’ team monitored a flurry of activity at the Boardrooms of VRA. It turned out a five-man team; a sub-committee of the Board, which the workers think are incapable of taking action in their row with Tarzan, has indeed been working quietly behind the scenes.

It emerged that Tarzan has locked horns with Mr. Addy, the Director Legal, over imprest issues, and it is suspect that the Quorum matter has now come to the attention of the sub-committee, which have deployed its hard-core investigators around Tarzan with a view to protecting the integrity of the CEO himself and the Authority. (Mr. K. Fynn heads the probe).

Still on the conflict of interest situation which is engaging the attention of CHRAJ, suggestion is that the taxpayers and the VRA, as a corporate citizen, already under pressure over increased energy costs, have to bankroll Tarzan and Harriet’s fun-soaked personal trysts.

Millions have already been spent renovating his official residence, which he now shares with Ms. Harriet Wilson, 45-year-old unmarried woman. Dr. Wereko-Brobby is still legally married to Mrs. Joyce Wereko-Brobby.

A detachment of reporters deployed from other regions led by the Ashanti Regional editor, Kow Freiku shadowed Tarzan’s lawyer to court for divorce hearing that the VRA boss filed to clear the way for him to regularize his latest conquest.

Chronicle has the dossier on a previous tragic tryst, also with an ‘internalist’ at Ministry of Energy/ Energy Commission, (Ms. Brodie-Mends), where Tarzan worked during the PNDC days when the World Bank was paying him.

Initially Tarzan’s Kumasi-based lawyer, Mr. Addo, denied knowledge of the case, until a second telephone call plied open his lips to confirm that indeed he was acting for the tough VRA chief. That raised questions of potential bigamy, an actionable offence.

Tarzan has gone through the process of introducing his ‘new’ wife to his family, including his senior mother, Mrs. Lemuel- Burton, in Neasden, North West London.

Chronicle’s Crusoe Road office in Surrey had been put on pink alert, following a previous visit undertaken by Tarzan to discuss the estate of the late Victor Owusu with the landlady who magnanimously offered him a place to rent in Fulham, South London. (Chronicle has some dossier on this matter, which is currently in court).

Ms. Wilson has had unusually generous upward adjustment in status. Harriet is one of few who were appointed acting Directors - she has acted in similar capacity before.

Before she could warm her seat, a letter confirming her appointment as director of Human Resources was dispatched, signed by Tarzan. Whether over coffee or some where in a cozy environment, Harriet became the lucky beneficiary of another appointment - Director of Materials and Planning - a highly coveted portfolio, because it is the department which handles all major international procurements.

Ms. Wilson used to work at the department and acquitted herself creditably, though ‘jealous’ tongues are wagging among the authority personnel over favoritism, a morale-hampering action.

Her record had been exemplary; it was gathered from people who had done business with her before. “She is very strict and firm,” testified one businessman Chronicle spoke to.

“She is not one who can be bribed,” offered another, who said she flatly refused to accept a present from him because she argued it could be misconstrued.

Since graduating from University of Ghana, Harriet has worked with VRA all her working life. She may have taken a cue from the other ‘authentic’ Mrs. Wereko-Brobby or her mum who is a leading member of the Nsawam branch of Women’s Aglow. Now it is ‘Harriet Wilson Wereko-Brobby’ meets Joyce Wereko-Brobby. The tensions may be heating matters up at VRA.

By press time, another Chronicle ‘shadow’ reported that divorce hearings have now been rescheduled for May 26 because Mrs. Wereko Brobby is fighting to save her marriage.

Mrs. Wereko-Brobby, a born again Minister of the Word, is said to be following the Biblical injunction and her marriage vows to the letter - ‘Till death do us part.