Documents reveal alleged scheme involving top NPP members and Labadi Beach Hotel
In a shocking revelation, court documents obtained and analyzed by MP Okudzeto Ablakwa suggest a grand scheme by top politically exposed persons associated with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to take over SSNIT’s hotels, with a particular focus on the lucrative Labadi Beach Hotel.
The Allegations
According to the documents, Hon. Bryan Acheampong is not the only NPP associate involved in the alleged plans for Labadi Beach Hotel. The documents confirm that Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay, son of former NPP National Chairman Freddy Worsemao Blay, now claims ownership of the beachfront property, traditionally part of the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Impact on Labadi Beach Hotel
This controversial development has positioned Labadi Beach Hotel as the only beachfront hotel globally without exclusive control over its entire beachfront. The board and management of Labadi Beach Hotel appear powerless against this encroachment due to the involvement of influential political figures.
Legal Action
The public might never have known about this 2022 takeover had it not been for legal action initiated by Mr. Kwaw Worsemao Blay’s business partner, Mr. Loic Devos Junior. On February 17, 2023, Devos filed a suit at the Accra High Court (Commercial Division), alleging that Blay cheated him out of their joint business operations and denied him financial benefits.
The suit, numbered CM/MISC/0302/2023, involves Gold Coast Expo Limited and names Blay and Press Xpress Limited as respondents. Devos claims they jointly incorporated Gold Coast Expo Limited on August 27, 2019, and organized the Polo Beach Club events at the Labadi beachfront from 2019 to 2021 in partnership with Labadi Beach Hotel.
Breach of Agreement
Devos accuses Blay of breaching the joint venture agreement with Labadi Beach Hotel, excluding the hotel from the 2022 Polo Beach Club event, and diverting revenue by creating an independent entry to the beach. Devos also claims he lost access to company accounts and that Blay usurped all business transactions and sponsorship deals through his other company, Press Xpress Limited.
Internal Inquiry and Dismissal
Insiders from Labadi Beach Hotel report that the board and management protested and launched an internal inquiry. The board issued a query to former expatriate MD, Mr. Rene Vincent-Ernst, on March 8, 2022, accusing him of conspiring with Blay. The inquiry found Vincent-Ernst complicit in allowing Blay to violate the joint venture agreement. Consequently, Vincent-Ernst was dismissed on November 3, 2022, after an alleged attempt to resign.
Conclusion
These revelations paint a troubling picture of political interference and corporate misconduct. The involvement of top NPP figures in this alleged scheme raises serious concerns about the integrity of business operations and the influence of political power on corporate entities in Ghana. The public and stakeholders await further developments as the legal proceedings continue.
POST BY SAM OKUDZETO ABLAKWA:
“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”
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