Landlord threatens to drag Kotoko to court

Kumasi, Feb. 2, GNA - Mr Francis Osei Kyeremateng (alias Abiola) of Franco Timbers, has threatened to drag Kumasi Asante Kotoko to court if the club fails to hand back to him the building which have been used by the club as its secretariat over two decades.

He said he was also seeking the recovery of a reasonable rent over the past 22 years that Kotoko had occupied the premises at Adum. A statement issued and signed on behalf of Mr Kyeremateng by Messrs J. Osei Bobbie and K.A. Nsiah, his solicitors, and copied to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, owner and spiritual head of the club, said the continued housing of the Kotoko without any formal tenancy agreement was a breach of the agreement he had with the club years ago.

The statement said soon after the appointment of Mr Yaw Bawuah as the Executive Chairman of Kotoko in the 1980s, he approached Mr Kyeremateng to allow the club t! o use his premises for only six months and on return of the late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II who had then travelled to the United Kingdom, the club was going to move out.

The statement noted, however, that the Bawuah's administration was replaced with Ofori Nuako's before the six-month period. It said Mr Kyeremateng consequently contacted Mr Ofori Nuako and asked that the club vacated his premises but Mr Nuako rendered an apology through Otumfuo Opoku Ware to him and told him that the club was yet to find a permanent accommodation to serve as its secretariat.

The statement said Mr Kyeremateng was further told that Kotoko was going through financial difficulties and could therefore not immediately leave the premises. It said after that, nothing concrete was heard until the Georgido administration headed by Mr George Aduse Poku, who also like his predecessors, was indifferent to the plight of Mr Kyeremateng.

The statement said when Mr Herbert Men! sah took over the helm of affairs as the Chief Executive, Mr Kyeremate ng contacted him through his solicitors and submitted a bill to him covering rent from 1981 but he (Herbert) did not mind him.

It said rather, Mr Herbert Mensah told him (Kyeremateng) that he could go anywhere with the case since he (Herbert) was not prepared to pay the rent nor vacate the premises.