The hope of the Korea-based STX Engineering & Construction through its local affiliate, STX Engineering & Construction Ghana Limited, to build 200,000 housing units in the country, is becoming slimmer with the latest report of the dismissal of its chief executive officer, Bernard Kwabena Asamoah.
The boardroom wrangling, which has taken a better part of the deal since Ghana government committed itself to the agreement, took a different turn yesterday when the Koreans sacked B.K. Asamoah as the front man for the company.
A statement issued by the company read, �Furthermore, please be informed that two criminal complaints and two civil lawsuits have been filed against B.K. Asamoah.�
Im-Dong Park, CEO and executive chairman of the company who signed the statement, said, �On August 18, 2011, the Board of STX Engineering & Construction Ghana Limited has (sic) approved a resolution to remove Mr. B.K. Asamoah from the office of the Chief Executive Officer and Mr. George Padi from the office of the Deputy Chief Financial Officer.�
The release said that the company �hereby notifies the public that Mr. B.K. Asamoah and Mr. George Padi do not have any rights to represent STX Engineering & Construction Ghana Limited in any action contract or agreement�.
�Therefore, any commitment, contract and/or agreement made by Mr. B.K Asamoah and Mr. George Padi are void and invalid,� it stressed.
President Atta Mills had probably predicted the demise of the company when during his state of the nation address last year, he said the Vice President who had been at the frontline of the project had travelled to Korea to �nail the coffin� of STX.
Ever since, it has been one crisis after another, including the botched visit of the Korean President to Ghana to see the commencement of the multi-billion dollar project. The initial signing of the documents also suffered a set-back when at last minute, the signing ceremony was called off with no reasons offered.
Daily Guide visited the company�s Airport Residential Area premises yesterday evening when news broke that police had surrounded the place. Upon arrival, a police vehicle (GP 2524) with four personnel (two in plain-clothes and two wielding weapons) were seen on the compound.
When Daily Guide entered the premises after going through security checks, the police vehicle quickly sped off.
Daily Guide then offered to speak to the beleaguered CEO, B.K. Asamoah who was said to be �upstairs� but the messenger (security man) returned with the response that he had declined any interview.
Daniel Jung, who is the Chief Financial Officer of the company, said the police entered the premises without any warrant and asked him to accompany them (police) to the police station. �I first asked for their warrant and told them that I needed to come along with my lawyer.
They then left without arresting anybody.�
<<Print>>