Edumadze Raids Rural Bank

Isaac Eduasor Edumadze, 50, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako- Enyan- Esiam constituency who was dropped as Regional Minister for a series of high profile blunders in the region by the President has struck again. After proclaiming that he is heading for the Convention People’s Party (CPP) if he is not returned ‘unopposed’ as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the area for the fourth term in 2008, the legislator has struck again at a neighbouring bank, Denkyira Rural Bank.

News of the approval of ¢150 million credit from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs reached him in January, and like a dog at the scent of a trail, the burly bully who gained notoriety as Hercules in the rural set up, raced to the Denkyira Bank for a recce. At muscle point, he held up the frightened workers to ransom and demanded access to the funds.

The manager of the bank summoned courage to explain that the money was meant for women in the area, to be shared piecemeal for fifty of them and that they had their names vetted, their pictures taken and approved to access the money as micro-credit for their ‘little on the table’ businesses. “Their pictures are already here as part of the procedure for granting them these small loans as capital for them to help their little enterprises,” Mr. Kudjiku, the local Branch Manager trembled as he explained to them.

Edumadze, huffed and puffed and huffed, belting out some expletives to the cowering staff at the office, accusing them as being part of saboteurs, who were sabotaging his efforts at the community, and drove off in a huff. He did not repent. He waited for two weeks and then went back when the Manager was not in. This time, the Accountant was at post. He went with his girl friend, the Women’s Organiser of the Constituency who bears a two-year old child for him, Ms. Eva Afful, usually described as his ‘third wife’ by the Community.

He managed to convince the Accountant and he effected the transfer of the money into an apex account. What Chronicle gathered was that, Edumadze stormed the bank in the company of Eva Afful, the New Patriotic Party Constituency Women’s Organiser, and another woman by name, Ekua Akowa, who was described as the treasurer after he got the information that the money could only be accessed by representatives of the women.

“He came with three women to collect the money,” an official at the local Enyan Rural Bank, which uses a cell phone, told this paper. ‘What are their names? I asked. “Give me 10 minutes while I look” the official responded and the sound of shuffling papers could be heard and the phone went dead. After ten minutes, the phone was no longer accessible, as the fear of exposure, apparently seized the man who gave his name as Ofori Buabeng.

With the two women in tow, Chronicle gathered that Edumadze marched with confidence to the bank again, met with the accountant on duty, and announced that he had the authorised personnel now, and wanted to clear the cash. They were encouraged to leave something in the account and not to close it down completely. That seemed a good idea, so Edumadze left One million old Ghana Cedis in the account and made off with ¢49million. On learning of the ‘heist’ at the Bank, the Manager called the Constituency Secretary to the bank and complained to him about the raid on the bank by Edumadze.

The offence they had committed was multiple. It was stealing. The three could be charged for felonies founded on ‘secondary participation’ in a criminal activity. They had aided and abetted in the stealing of money belonging to others with Edumadze as the key perpetrator. More than four months after the ‘stealing’, the women who had the photographs taken turned on the Secretary for their money. The Constituency executives came to Accra, and reported the matter to the Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs who assured him that something would be done about it.

Incredibly, they told the to Accra and proceeded to the Chronicle to tell the incredible story. Last Friday, they fired off a letter to the Minister of Women and Children Affairs again.

The letter to Hajia Alima read:

‘DISBURSEMENT OF WOMEN’S FUND IN THE AJUMAKO ENYAN-ASSIAM DISTRICT.

“We the Constituency Executives of Ajumako-Anyan –Essiam wish to inform you that recent funds totalling ¢150,000,000 released by your Ministry to the said district for some approved fifty women, did not in actual fact, get to those documented beneficiaries. The issue of the women being held liable at some point in time was canvassed and the anxieties of the poor women were brought home to Alima. “For some time now, these women have been expressing apprehension about what their fate will be when the facility is due for repayment.

The truth is that, sometime last year, the MP for the constituency met with the Constituency Executives at which we were called upon to submit five names of women activists each to be submitted to your office for consideration for the facility. These names were submitted to your office and were approved for the said amount to be released. Unfortunately, the monies were not paid to those for whom it was intended. Besides, some of them had their names falsely tendered in as signatories to cash the money. What is more surprising is that the money was transferred into a different account and withdrawn in bulk the same day without following the laid down procedure.

We should be grateful if the Hon Minister could help correct this anomaly so as to save these poor women form possible harassment.” George Appeadu-Mensah the Constituency Chairman, who signed the letter pleaded with Hajia Alima to “reallocate something specifically for these women to help preserve their trust and faith.” The full list of beneficiaries names were given to The Chronicle. When Edumadze was contacted, he railed at the Chronicle: “ Look I am surprise that now The Chronicle will call me and say they want my reaction about a story. ‘Do you think you are a court or a commission of enquiry to ask me these questions? You can go ahead and write anything you want,” he bragged and not even pleas from him to say what he knew about the story could illicit a response on the issue from him suggesting as though he indeed was above the law.

The account number of Enyan Rural bank, into which the money was paid and was later, interfered with, was CD 0701800101. Only ¢1million remained in the account as a silent reminder of the robbery that was visited on the poor women of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam. The Central Regional Police Command was yesterday informed and they promised to investigate the case once they receive a formal complaint from the party, because no report had been lodged with them yet.

Hajia Alima whose office had been informed of the high profile theft has done nothing so far as the former regional Minister who is also a colleague in Parliament has overlooked the matter for nearly four months. Regional Chairman Bootie Dankwa Smith confirmed to the Chronicle that he had heard about the matter.

EDUMADZE’S ASSETS Assets that were declared by the Auditor General following a subpoena initiated by Chronicle during a libel trial in Cape Coast revealed a staggering portfolio held by the MP. Captured below were the following:

A. Cash-on-Hand £150,000.00 = ¢2,900,000,000.00

B. Cash-on-Hand Euro31,000.00 = ¢560,000,000.00

C. Cash-on-Hand US$110,000.00 = ¢1,056,000,000.00 D..Cash-on-Hand ¢225,000,000.00

1. 9-bedroom uncompleted house - Ajumako : 4th March 2001 Land cost ¢120,000.000.00

2. 20 plots of land- Ajumako :1st March 2004, ¢30,000,000.00

3. 126 acres of cocoa farm -Assin Amoabeng: December 2003

4. 8 acres of citrus plantation- Etsii Abeka : January 2002, ¢3,000,000.00

5. 6 acres of citrus -Etsii Ekurom ¢2,500,000.00

6. 35 acres of oil palm plantation -Kwesil Ansah :December 2001, ¢4,500,000.00

7. 21 acres of oil palm –Effutuakwa: December 2002, ¢10.000.000.00

8. 23 acres of citrus plantation, Ajumako

9. 40 acre land, Tepa, Ashanti

10. Cattle ranch -Kwesil Ansah: March 2003

11. 6 acres of cocoa, Breman Jamra

12. Mitsubishi Saloon Car, No. GR 1709U, March 2001 ¢30,000,000.00

13. Mercedes Benz E200 Saloon Car, No. GT 6619T, 2001 ¢490,000,000.00

14. Toyota Pick up, No. GR 5563C, September 2000 ¢17,000,000.00

15. Nissan Pick Up No. CR 437 V, April 2004 ¢65,000.000.00

16. Hyundai Mighty Truck, No. CR 97C July 2004 ¢35.000,000.00

17. Benz Bus, No. GT 4279 H October 2004 ¢30,000,000.00

18.. Poultry Farm -Ajumako/Cape Coast Earn Total of ¢250,000,000.00 per annum

19. Transport Business- Ajumako, Earns ¢130,000,000.00 per annum

21. Cash Balance, NIB June 2005, ¢3,200,000.00

22. Loan Balance ADB ¢62,000,000.00.