*By Sedi Bansa*

The Herald’s investigations into the hijacking of a family property now housing the Asuogyaman Rural Bank, at Atimpoku, near Akosombo, in the Eastern Region, are leading to some interesting albeit criminal revelations against Kofi Osei Ameyaw, ex-deputy Tourism Minister in the Kufuor administration.

Apart from the fact that the ex-Member of Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman Constituency twisted the arms of his elder siblings – in particular Felicia Asabea Osei, 77 and Mary Afua Osei, 61 – to have access to the building housing the bank, details have emerged that some of the supposed owners of the bank are not aware that the ex-minister had falsely used their names to set up the bank.

For instance, “the Chief and people of Asuogyaman” were listed as one of the owners of the bank, with 50 shares, totaling ¢50million, according to a confidential document obtained from the Registrar General’s Department, Accra.

But The Herald’s probe, interestingly, revealed that there is nothing like “the Chief and people of Asuogyaman,” since the area has three paramountcies – Anum Traditional Area, Boso Traditional Area and Akwamu Traditional Area.

Nana Osei Nyarko, Bosomanhene, was utterly shocked by the revelation when The Herald called to enquire from him whether he holds any shares in trust for the people of Boso. He disclosed that he has some shares in the bank as an individual but holds no shares on behalf of Boso Stool or the Boso people.

“I have never held any shares in trust for my people,” he said, adding, “I, in my own capacity, have bought shares to the tune of GH¢80.00, but has since not received anything by way of bonus,” he told The Herald in a telephone conversation.

Also, the list of shareholders includes the ex-minister’s company called “Ghana Soya and Oil Seed Ltd, with 400 shares representing ¢400million. This company was, sometime in 2005, alleged by a lady to be a conduit to smuggle narcotic drugs outside Ghana, a claim Mr. Osei Ameyaw, vigorously denied.

Meanwhile, the siblings of the ex-minister have dragged him to the Koforidua High Court, over the forceful takeover of the property left them by their late father, Opanin Kwaku Osei, who died some 40 years ago. The police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is also pursuing him over a fraudulent contract he is purported to have signed with his dead father, to cover up his illegal act.

His angry siblings and their children have vowed to mount a massive campaign against him in the Asuogyaman Constituency if elected by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates tomorrow for the party’s parliamentary slot.

Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw himself holds 100 shares valued at ¢100million”, while his wife, Liba Osei, once had shares valued at ¢200 million in the bank. She is currently listed as one of the shareholders.

The Bosomanhene insists that he had not received a certificate to the effect that he had bought shares in the bank and that he had never been to any of the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) since its establishment about four years ago.

The chief indicated that as far as he was concerned, none of the three paramount chiefs of Asuogyaman holds shares in the bank in trust for the people.

“If in their personal capacity, any of the chiefs of Anum and Akwamu has acquired shares in the bank, I don’t know. But to say they are holding shares in trust for their people, that one I can say it is a lie,” the Bosomanhene told The Herald.

Nana Appiah Kubi II, the paramount chief of Anum, also vehemently defended himself saying that he does not hold any personal shares in the Asuogyaman Rural Bank, let alone holding one in trust for the Anum stool on behalf of the people of Anum.

“ The only thing I have to do with that bank is a personal account that I have there,” he told The Herald, emphasizing that “I have neither bought shares in that bank nor hold one in trust for my people.”

Efforts to get the Akwamuhene for his position in terms of the shareholding of the Asuogyaman Rural Bank did not yield any fruits at the time the paper went to bed yesterday.

In another bizarre twist, a certain group vaguely called “Women Group (61) leaders (50 shares)” was also listed as part owners of the bank, with ¢50 million stake in it.

In this case also, the group was not identified, neither were names of its 61 leaders and addresses indicated as is normally done in every reputable institution, which has floated shares to interested persons.

Apart from “the Chief and people of Asuogyaman,” as stated in the document at the Registrar General’s Department as having shares in the bank, it is also listed that: “182 individuals of Asuogyaman” were also holding 100 shares in the bank, representing “¢100 Million,” raising further doubts over the true ownership of the bank.

Other shareholders listed in the document are: David Frempong (50 shares) – ¢ 50, 000, 000.00; Baafour Kwame Asiamah (50 Shares) – ¢ 50, 000, 000.00; Kwabena Osei Danquah (50 Shares) – ¢ 50, 000, 000.00 and Samuel Kotoko (30 Shares) – ¢30, 000, 000.00.

The rest are: “Nana Yaw Osei (50 Shares) – ¢ 50,000, 000.00; Akosua Fosua (20 Shares) – ¢20, 000, 000.00 and Kwesi Osei (50 Shares) – ¢ 50,000, 000.00”.

The Registrar General’s document disclosed that although records available to the department said share allocations were processed by a special resolution, the procedure for filing the said resolution was not properly done.

The document, signed by one Marian Plange, for the Registrar General, also contains the list of some past shareholders and different values of the shares.

They include: “Ghana Soya and Oil Seed Ltd. P.O. Box C 250, Cantonments, Accra; a limited company registered under the laws of Ghana, represented by: John Ayebi Arthur, PMB CT 280 Cantonments, Accra. Share – ¢500,000,000.00; Kofi Osei Ameyaw – ¢ 300, 000, 000.00, P. O. Box CT 280 Cantoments, Accra; and Liba Osei (Wife of Osei Ameyaw) – ¢ 200, 000, 000.00, P. O. Box CT 280, Cantonments, Accra, share – ¢ 500, 000, 000.00.

The current directors of the bank, as captured during The Herald’s investigations, who were appointed on April 5, 2007, are: Lawrence Ampene (retd army officer) Ghanaian, at House No VL M6, Akosombo; Charles Puozing, a lawyer and Ghanaian at House No D146, Tema; Baffour Kyie, a Ghanaian and pastor, at House No 19 Atimpoku.

The rest are: Felix Okomfo Osei, a businessman, living at House No AA 30 Atimpoku and Nana Ateko Antwi of House No 14 Gyakiti, Akosombo.

However, names of the past directors and their particulars are as follows: Nana Ateko Antwi, a Ghanaian of House No 14, Gyakiti; Felix Okomfo Osei, a Ghanaian of House No AA. 30, Atimpoku; and Asare Kwatia, a Ghanaian. The bank was incorporated on November 24, 2005, and commenced business on June 6, 2007.

In the face of all these revelations, Efua Serwaa, in an interview with The Herald, has declared his brother, Osei Ameyaw, as a “theif and a freak. If he can steal from us, his own people, what can’t he do as a minister, having a lot of opportunities? ”

She is, therefore, urging the NPP delegates to reject him at tomorrow’s primaries to elect somebody who will represent the constituency on the party’s ticket come the 2012 general elections.