A meeting held on Saturday at Perseverance Towers in River Park Estate has sparked controversy among residents and stakeholders following allegations of extortion, forged documentation, and misinformation.
Paul Odili/River Park Estate
The meeting convened by Paul Odili and supported by Adrian Ogunmuyiwa and South African national John Townley Johnson, was reportedly organised to celebrate a “victory” over Ghanaian investors following a press conference earlier held by a Police officer. However, testimonies from residents who attended the meeting suggest a more troubling agenda.
According to attendees, Mr. Odili made several claims and demands.
A subsequent investigation into the documents presented at the meeting tells a different story. A search conducted at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, revealed that the filings in question were not submitted by the Ghanaian investors, but by lawyers acting on behalf of Jonah Capital. CAC records show that the filing was done by LD Sharkwarku through Hassan Hussein, a registered legal practitioner whose contact details and NBA registration are clearly documented.
Further developments show that a forthcoming report by the Special Investigation Panel contains a sworn statement from Mr. Hussein and his associates. In their statement, they affirm they had no direct dealings with the Ghanaian investors and were instead contracted by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ogunmuyiwa to prepare the corporate filings for Jonah Capital.
In fact, CAC filings indicate that Ghanaian businessman Sir Samuel Jonah was allocated 7.5 million out of 8 million shares in Houses for Africa Holdings. The filings were signed by Mr. Adeniran Ogunmuyiwa, who was present at the aforementioned press conference organised by Mr. Fakorede.
In a revealing twist, an email dated July 4, 2012, from one Kehinde Yinka (copied to Mr. Ogunmuyiwa) shows a share certificate, signed by Barrister Wilson (also present at the press conference), being transmitted to Kojo Ansah. This casts serious doubt on claims of forgery and suggests that the narrative being pushed may be part of a coordinated effort to discredit and dispossess the Ghanaian stakeholders.
When contacted, representatives of the Ghanaian investors stated that they are awaiting an invitation from the Attorney General’s office, where they intend to present documents and evidence that they believe will fully exonerate them from the allegations leveled by the Police.
