Mr. Owusu (second left) addressing the media
DIRECTOR GENERAL of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Kwame Owusu, has dismissed allegations leveled against him by controversial musician, Kwame A-Plus, about ‘lavishly’ blowing GH¢ 10,652 within one night on food for himself and some seven other members of GMA management.
Mr. Owusu, addressing the media yesterday in Accra to clear the air over the series of allegations that have been leveled against him by the musician, described the allegations as “mischief,” saying they emanated from A-Plus’ failure to extort money from him.
He accused A-Plus of seeking to extort money from him and his refusal to honour the musician’s demands led to the circulation of the mischief on social media and in some of the mainstream media outlets, making particular references to TV3.
Mr. Owusu has therefore threatened to take a legal action against A-Plus, saying “my lawyers have been given the necessary instructions.”
Printed copies of “extortion message from A-Plus to Ghana Maritime Authority Director General captured by screenshot” were given out to journalists at the press conference, as Mr. Owusu revealed that the Ghana Police Service has already been informed about the case.
“We will not yield to people who want to extort,” according to the Director General, pointing out that he had not been able to respond to the allegations since the issue emerged about a week ago because he was outside Ghana on official duty.
He stated that contrary to claims that GH¢ 10,652 was spent on just eight people, the actual number of persons was 17 and besides that, the original document or memo requesting the said amount to be released, was doctored just for the sake of “mischief.”
On the allegations that the Authority spent an amount of GH¢ 135, 125 on food, drinks, for its end-of-year dinner in 2017, he admitted that indeed the Authority did organize for the first time since it was founded, an end of year party and that the amount used was about GH¢ 115,000.
But he denied that the GH¢ 115,000 was used to feed only 100 persons as has been reported, explaining that the staff of the Authority alone are about 200 and that plans were made for about 500 people including invited guests like MPs, Ministers, and other government officials as well as friends and relatives of employees of the Authority.
The GH¢ 115,000 included also payments for decorators of the event ground, disc jockeys, drinks, music, among others.
It would be recalled that controversial musician, Kwame A-Plus recently in a Facebook post alleged that the Director General of GMA, Kwame Owusu, blew an amount of GH¢135,125 on a staff end-of-year party last year.
A-Plus also disclosed that the Director General and seven other members of management of the GMA spent an amount of GH¢10,652 within one night on food at Luxe Suites Hotel.
The musician had, as well, leveled a conflict of interest claim against the Director General stressing that Mr. Owusu is the owner of the Luxe Suites Hotel.
But the Director General rubbished the conflict of interest allegation, saying upon assumption of office, he disclosed to management and the Board of the Authority that he was a shareholder in the Luxe Suites Hotel and the Board indicated that provided services from the Hotel offered value for money, management could move ahead and deal with it.
Board of GMA has been directed by Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, to probe the allegations against the Director General, but Mr. Owusu insisted that the allegations against him, including the alleged purchase of land worth $2 million at East Legon, a suburb of Accra, the renovation of a two bedroom house, changing of his age to prevent him from going on retirement, were all “blackmail,” lamenting that “it is amazing how we can kill people before they die”.
“I am not corrupt; I do not falsify documents,” according to the Director General.
BY Melvin Tarlue