CHRAJ dismisses objections to Ablakwa’s petition on National Cathedral’s GH¢2.6m paid to JNS Talent

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has dismissed preliminary objections raised by the Finance Minister and the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng regarding an amount of GH¢2.6 million paid to JNS Talent, – a company owned by Rev. Kusi Boateng.

In its ruling, CHRAJ stated that it will continue with its investigations into the complaint filed by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

“It is therefore clear that although a company is a separate legal entity from its members and officers, there are instances under which the corporate veil will be pierced. This is to enable one to go behind the mere status of the company as a separate legal entity distinct from its shareholders/members and to allow one to consider who are the persons, shareholders or even agents, directing and controlling the activities of the company.

“It is the case of the Complainant that the National Cathedral of Ghana has by its board, indulged in procurement breaches and as such, it is only right that in the interest of public policy, the Board be made a party to this investigation so as to ensure an efficient and expeditious exercise. For the above-enunciated reasons, the preliminary objections raised by the Respondents are overruled and the Commission will thus continue with its investigations in the matter.”

Background

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa in January 2023 petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Reverend Victor Kusi-Boateng, over conflict of interest, including possession of multiple identities and other alleged criminal dealings.

The petition, which was received by the two Deputy Commissioners of CHRAJ also alleged that there was a transfer of GH¢2.6million cash from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited owned by Rev. Kusi-Boateng under his secondary identity, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.

Petition

Mr Ablakwa said the petition sought to invoke the mandate of CHRAJ under Article 218 of the 1992 Constitution to investigate the “odious conflict of interest” in regard to Rev.Victor Kusi-Boateng’s position on the national cathedral board as he “literally paid his own company a staggering GH¢2.6million for no work done”.

Rev. Kusi-Boateng, who is also the founder of Power Chapel Worldwide, according to Mr Ablakwa, was the same person as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, who received the GH¢2.6 million from the national cathedral board.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no distinct Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is a criminal creation of Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng. The two are, therefore, one and the same,” Mr Ablakwa alleged in a statement on his Facebook wall that preceded the petition.

Mr Ablakwa said documents revealed that two other persons, Sheila Eshun and Kwabena Adu Gyamfi were also directors of JNS Talent Centre Limited.

“From unassailable and irreproachable documents in my possession, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng, aka Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, uses multiple passports and multiple identification cards with different names and different dates of birth as his special modus operandi.