A Cape Coast High Court has ordered the seizure of two vehicles and some other movable items of value from the PANAFEST Secretariat to be auctioned to defray debt it owes a creditor in Cape Coast.

The creditor, Mr. Gustav Anokye Yeboah of Ganoyeb Centre, Pedu, sued the secretariat in December last year for failing to settle a debt of $4,900 being the total cost of boarding and lodging incurred by PANAFEST for its staff and guests for PANAFEST'99 in August 1999.

According to a source close to the court, the court sitting on January 10 this year, further awarded $2,940 being interest on the debt from August 1999 up to the date of final judgement.

In addition, PANAFEST is to pay 5 million cedis for failing to appear in court.

Consequently, two vehicles - a Daewoo Cielo with registration number GT 5678 P and another numbered GT 5176 N - and some other movable items, were seize on February 7, 2001. They are to be auctioned to defray the total amount of 59,096,000 cedis at a rate of 6,900 cedis per one US dollar.

However, according to a notice of claim filed by counsel for PANAFEST on March 7, 2001, the seized items belong to PANAFEST Foundation and not the secretariat.

PANAFEST, again in a motion filed on March 13, 2001, is seeking the court to set aside the default judgement obtained by Anokye Yeboah. It is also claiming that it has no contractual relationship with Mr Yeboah and has never asked him to do anything for it.