Miss Ghana 2006 pageant to go ahead

Accra, July 24, GNA - Sparrow Productions Limited, organizers of the Miss Ghana pageant, said on Monday that the event to crown Miss Ghana 2006 would be held on Saturday, July 29 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

A statement signed by Ms Shirley Frimpong-Manso, Managing Director of Sparrow Productions Limited, said 20 finalists would participate. The statement said there were "several untrue statements" in the media about its operations, but added that the Company was headed by law abiding citizens.

"We wish to state that the matter between our outfit and Miss Lamisi Mbilah, Miss Ghana 2005, is in court and we are committed to unfolding the truth about events leading to these false allegations. "Sparrow Productions has always taken bold initiatives to preserve the sanctity of the pageant - Miss Ghana."

Miss Ghana 2005, Lamisi Mbillah on Monday filed a writ at a Fast Track High Court in Accra seeking an order of interim injunction to restrain organisers of the Miss Ghana 2006 beauty pageant from organising the event scheduled for July 29.

The writ filed by Dr Raymond Atuguba has Ms Shirley Frimpong Manso, Chief Executive Officer of Sparrow Productions Limited, Ms Jayne Awoornor-Williams, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Sparrow Productions Limited and Sparrow Productions Limited, all of Accra, as Defendants. In an affidavit in support of her application, Ms Mbillah said when she won the Miss Ghana crown on 10 July, 2005, she was promised a number of things as her prize by Sparrow Productions Limited.

It included a car; 10,000 dollars; travel tickets; monthly stipends during her one-year reign; LG home appliances worth 20 million cedis; wardrobe and free make-up and skin therapy from FC Perfumery during her reign.

Relief being sought by Ms Mbillah include a declaration that the prize car for Miss Ghana 2005, a Kia Rio saloon car with registration number GT 3282 W, is her property; an order compelling Sparrow Production Limited to transfer title of the car to her; an order compelling the Company to pay her 10,000 dollars with interest to date and prize travel tickets consisting of Accra-London-Accra air ticket from Astraeus Airline.

She is also seeking one million cedis for the month of July; costs and any other relief as the Court might deem appropriate.