[ 2017-01-25 ]

Catherine Afeku with President Akufo-Addo

Akufo-Addo probes Tourism Minister-designate
President Akufo-Addo, has initiated a probe into
one of his ministerial appointees designated for
Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Afeku.

Information gathered by Myjoyonline.com indicate
the minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and
Culture is being probed after reports emerged that
she, together with her husband, were defendants in
a case of fraud in 2007.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Evalue-Gwira
Constituency in the Western Region, and her
husband, Seth Afeku, were directed by an Accra
High Court to pay $217,464.00 plus 50% interest to
a US couple in the fraudulent charges brought
against them.

The Court, presided over by her Lordship Barbara
Ackah-Yensu, found Catherine Afeku and her husband
guilty of fraud and ordered them to pay the US
couple, Patricia and Bill Gick the amount with
interest.

Afeku and her husband have, however, failed to pay
the money, an action which compelled Mr. and Mrs.
Gick to file a fifa application at the court to
auction both movable and immovable properties of
the Ex MP and husband. The court granted the
application.

The Evalue-Gwira MP filed an appeal in 2013. The
appeal is yet to be heard.
Catherine Afeku was one of 36 ministerial nominees
named by president to be approved by Parliament.

However, a group calling itself Truth and
Accountable Governance (TAG), petitioned President
Akufo-Addo to drop the name of Catherine Afeku as
Minister designate of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

This, they said, will to save the integrity the
president’s nominees.
Checks indicate that the President invited
Catherine Afeku to answer questions on the
allegations.

Myjoyonline.com has sighted a Memorandum dated
January 19, 2017 from her lawyer, Godfred Yeboah
Dame to the president on the matter.
The Memorandum, titled, “COURT ACTION BETWEEN
HON. CATHERINE AFEKU AND PATRICIA GICKS, BILL
GICKS, DAVID THOMAS AND FRANCIS NOKOE” gives
into detail developments so far.

In the memo, Godfred Dame conceded that the court
granted a number of reliefs against his client but
was quick to add that there was no finding of
fraud or criminality against her.

Mr Dame explained to the President Akufo-Addo in
the Memo that, he found credible evidence and
therefore filed a fresh action on November 22,
2013.

According to him, “We proceeded to file an
application for an order restraining the
enforcement of the earlier judgement dated 30th
November, 2007 given in Suit No. 245/06 until the
final determination of the new suit. This was
granted by the High Court, Accra coram Bright
Mensah J. on 5th March, 2014.”

“The suit has been pending in court since, with
the various pre-trail processes completed. Same
was ready to be heard in November, 2016, when the
defendants made an application to submit the video
recording forensic examination. We are awaiting
the report of the Police Forensic Laboratory,”
the Memo read.

On June 5, 2008, the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Constitutional and Legal Committee, after an
investigation into the matter arrived at the
conclusion that she was fit to contest the
party’s primaries.

The report: “REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND
LEGAL COMMITTEE ON PARTICIPATION IN THE NEW
PATRIOTIC PARTY PARLIAMENTARY PRIMARIES IN THE
EVALUE-GWIRA CONSTITUENCY BY MADAM CATHERINE
AFEKU” was signed Rt. Hon. Peter Ala Adjetey,
then Chairman of the committee.

“After an exhaustive examination of this matter
we are unanimously of the view that there is
nothing in the judgement forwarded to us which
should prevent Ms Afeku, on constitutional
grounds, from participating in the Parliamentary
primaries of the NPP in the Evalue-Gwira
constituency,” the report said.

It’s unclear what the outcome of the
presidential probe will be but Myjoyonline.com has
gathered that Catherine Afeku could be dropped as
the minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and
Culture.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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