The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has shared details of what he says is new information he has regarding the sale of some shares of SSNIT in some hotels in the country, particularly the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Describing the Labadi Beach Hotel as “the super profitable” entity that the government wants to include in its ‘grand state capture,’ the MP has shared details that links a former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay; and his son, to the ownership of the hotel.
Sharing the details, alongside copies of photos of the court documents on his X handle, the National Democratic Congress MP said that the son of Freddie Blay now claims to be the owner of the beachfront of the Labadi Beach Hotel.
The MP added that with this revelation, the Ghanaian hotel becomes the “only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa explained further how this information came to light, adding that it was contained in ‘bombshell court documents’ initiated by a former partner of Freddie Blay, but who had felt cheated by the former NPP national chairman.
“It has emerged that the Hon. Bryan Acheampong is not the only ruling party associate with ‘plans’ for Labadi Beach Hotel.
“The bombshell court documents confirm that the son of the former National Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay now claims to be the new owner of the beachfront which had always belonged to the Labadi Beach Hotel.
“Labadi Beach Hotel has thus become the only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront.
“Sadly, because of the powerful politically exposed persons involved in this shady encroachment, the Board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel appear helpless.
“Ghanaians may never have known of this shocking hostile 2022 takeover by then NPP Chairman, Mr. Freddy Worsemao Blay’s son if Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay’s business partner, Mr. Loic Devos Junior had not initiated legal action at an Accra High Court (Commercial Division) on February 17, 2023 alleging that his business partner, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay has cheated him out of their business operations and fraudulently denied him of the financial benefits of their joint business dealings,” he detailed.
The North Tongu legislator added that after Loic Devos Junior, partner to Freddie Blay, had entered into a mutual agreement with the former NPP chairman, the former was cheated out of the arrangement.
He added that after this too, Freddie Blay locked Loic Devos out of the company’s accounts, taking full control of the business without him.
Okudzeto Ablakwa also stated a supposed complicity of a former Managing Director of the Labadi Beach Hotel in the matter concerning Freddie Blay, adding that this is what led to the dismissal of the hotel boss, Rene Vincent-Ernst.
Explosive court documents I have obtained and currently analysing reveal that top politically exposed persons associated with the ruling NPP have long had a grand state capture scheme to completely take over SSNIT’s hotels, particularly, the super profitable Labadi Beach Hotel.… pic.twitter.com/VO05BfYJwN
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) June 1, 2024
Read the full details below:
Explosive court documents I have obtained and currently analysing reveal that top politically exposed persons associated with the ruling NPP have long had a grand state capture scheme to completely take over SSNIT’s hotels, particularly, the super profitable Labadi Beach Hotel.
It has emerged that the Hon. Bryan Acheampong is not the only ruling party associate with ‘plans’ for Labadi Beach Hotel.
The bombshell court documents confirm that the son of the former National Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay now claims to be the new owner of the beachfront which had always belonged to the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Labadi Beach Hotel has thus become the only beachfront hotel in the world which does not have exclusive control over its entire beachfront.
Sadly, because of the powerful politically exposed persons involved in this shady encroachment, the Board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel appear helpless.
Ghanaians may never have known of this shocking hostile 2022 takeover by then NPP Chairman, Mr. Freddy Worsemao Blay’s son if Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay’s business partner, Mr. Loic Devos Junior had not initiated legal action at an Accra High Court (Commercial Division) on February 17, 2023 alleging that his business partner, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay has cheated him out of their business operations and fraudulently denied him of the financial benefits of their joint business dealings.
Suit Number: CM/MISC/0302/2023; In the matter of Gold Coast Expo Limited — Derivative Proceedings Between Loic Devos Junior (Applicant) And Kwaw Worsemao Blay and
Press Xpress Limited (Respondents) make for exceedingly interesting reading.
Loic Devos Junior states in his application before the court that he made an offer for a business partnership to Kwaw Worsemao Blay, and they jointly incorporated and registered the company known as Gold Coast Expo Limited in Ghana on the 27th day of August 2019.
That they have organized the entertainment extravaganza dubbed the Polo Beach Club since 2019 to December 2021 at the Labadi beachfront.
That they entered into a mutually beneficial joint venture agreement with Labadi Beach Hotel to use Labadi Beach Hotel’s beachfront for their Polo Beach Club events.
That all parties agreed to use Labadi Beach Hotel’s reception as the entrance and exit to the Polo Beach Club events. This arrangement helped to transparently determine the gate fee proceeds.
Shockingly, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay, arbitrarily and unilaterally breached the terms of the joint venture agreement with Labadi Beach Hotel by totally excluding Labadi Beach Hotel and thereby making Labadi lose revenue.
In a bizarre twist, Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay then unilaterally and recklessly took over the beachfront. He subsequently created his own bypass entry to the beach front to give himself exclusive entry and control of all gate proceeds since the 2022 Polo Beach Club event.
Mr. Loic Devos Junior says he no longer has access to company accounts and that Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay has totally usurped all business transactions including sponsorship deals using his other company, Press Xpress Limited.
Insiders at Labadi Beach Hotel tell me that the Board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel vehemently protested and launched an internal inquiry.
The Labadi Beach Hotel board following the inquiry issued a query to the former expatriate MD, Mr. Rene Vincent-Ernst on March 8, 2022 who was accused of conspiring with Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay to assist the latter’s encroachment of Labadi Hotel’s beachfront.
The Board found the former MD of Labadi Beach Hotel, Mr. Rene Vincent-Ernst complicit by surreptitiously aiding Mr. Blay to violate the joint venture agreement and allowing him access to the beachfront which Mr. Blay now claims to be the owner of the encroached Labadi beachfront.
Mr. Rene Vincent-Ernst was therefore dismissed by the Labadi Beach Hotel board on November 3, 2022.
An apparent clever attempt by Mr. Vincent-Ernst to resign on September 22, 2022 was rejected by the Labadi board because of the then active investigations into the conspiracy with Mr. Blay to capture the beachfront.
Mr. Rene Vincent-Ernst subsequently proceeded to an Accra Human Rights Court on November 18, 2022 challenging his dismissal and demanding outstanding entitlements of €40,000.00.
From the court filings, Mr. Loic Devos Junior is seeking ex-parte orders of interlocutory injunction to restrain Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay from going ahead to launch their own version of Polo Beach Club events within the Labadi Beach Hotel as Gold Coast had procured and secured rights since December 2019.
Loic also seeks to restrain Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay and their agents, assigns, workmen, servants, privies and associates from appropriating the company’s proprietary business interests.
Loic further wants the court order to restrain Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay from spending or disposing of all monies or payments received by or in the name of Gold Coast or under the umbrella of its Polo Beach Club events during the 2021 and 2022 events.
Loic seeks an additional order from the court restraining first and second respondents (Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay and his Press Xpress Limited) from fraudulently claiming to be the duly appointed Managing Director of Gold Coast.
It would be interesting to see how all these court cases are finally determined.
What is clear, however, Freddy Blay’s son, Kwaw Worsemao Blay has taken total control over the encroached Labadi Beach Hotel beachfront.
Despite unsuccessful attempts by the board and management of Labadi to stop the powerful Kwaw Worsemao Blay, he has proceeded to construct permanent structures on the encroached beachfront and is in full possession.
Instructively, Mr. Blay does not share his lucrative revenues with Labadi Beach Hotel.
Hotel guests at Labadi Beach have complained to management about how Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay’s humongous beachfront construction block their view and how Mr. Blay’s loud sounds disturb their serenity but management remains helpless and hapless.
The grand state capture agenda to dismember Labadi Beach Hotel and share it amongst NPP big shots continues with utter impunity.
I must indicate my total disappointment in the board and management of both the Labadi Beach Hotel and the superintending SSNIT board for allowing and tolerating this blatant bullying and arm-twisting of Labadi leading to this massive beachfront encroachment by Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay.
They claim SSNIT hotels are not profitable and are struggling but see the length they and their children are willing to go to grab and own them.
If President Akufo-Addo fails to call his marauding men to order, nothing will stop our June 18 DEMO.
I am also glad we making tremendous progress on our Private Member’s Bill to ban the sale of state assets to politicians and politically exposed persons.
For God and Country.
Ghana First
Meanwhile, catch up on the latest edition of The Lowdown on GhanaWeb TV as Etsey Atisu sat down with the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, to discuss issues surrounding the E-Levy, the Saglemi Housing Controversy, and the OSP Impeachment:
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