Ghanaian Times MD Punches Workers

*…For dragging him to SFO*

The Managing Director of New Times Corporation, owners of the Ghanaian Times Newspaper, Mr. Kofi Assuman, last week Thursday turned the precincts of the company into a boxing arena, landing hefty hooks and jabs to the body of a physically challenged staff, Mr. Emmanuel Kwandoh, in a non-title fight.

Mr. Assuman wanted to bloody Mr. Kwandoh’s face over an allegation of corrupt practices and mismanagement of the corporation’s resources he has leveled against him (the MD).

The MD, who could not hold his anger, violently pounced on Mr. Emmanuel Kwandoh whom he accused of writing an anonymous letter against him to the Office of the President and copied to some state institutions including the National Media Commission (NMC), Ministry of Information, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Castle among others.

According to an eyewitness, the New Times Corporation MD, apart from the physical attack also verbally abused his accuser, and frantic efforts made by other members of staff to restrain him from further assaulting Mr. Kwandoh, proved futile.

When he was eventually restrained, the MD who was not satisfied with his initial performance in the bout later laid ambush at the corporation’s security checkpoint to engage Mr. Kwandoh in a rematch.

The Herald is informed that Mr. Kofi Assuman, the MD, had set up a committee of enquiry to investigate Mr. Kwandoh for persuading the driver of one of the corporation’s newly acquired vehicles to teach him how to drive.

The source said in the process of the driving lessons, Mr. Kwandoh lost control of the steering wheel and run into a VRA high tension and damaged the car beyond repairs.

The drama unfolded when the MD in anger rush into the meeting of the committee he had set up to probe Mr. Kwandoh’s conduct, and accused him of being the brain behind a petition sent to the Office of the President about his alleged mismanagement and corrupt practices since assuming office as MD.

A case of assault has since being lodged with the Kaneshie Police against Mr. Kofi Assuman.

Meanwhile a copy of the petition sent to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the custody of The Herald alleges that the MD is engaged in fuel deals and within a year and half of running the company almost completed a mighty mansion with proceeds from the fraudulent act. He is said to have engaged in the act with Messrs Alhassan and Naah.

It said the MD has awarded a contract to a friend of his in Tamale in the Northern Region to renovate staff estate apartment without going through tender and the cost of the project is only known to him and the acting accountant of the corporation, the three page petition said.

The petition, signed by a concerned senior staff, said Mr. Assuman, since assuming office has bought himself two cars and that he destroyed the first one; Tata Safari and got a Ford Saloon car as a replacement from the board, chaired by Mr. David Newton who also doubles as the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).

Among other things, the petitioner accused the MD of collecting monies he is not entitled to, holding a doubtful educational certificate, cutting down his age to gain employment and receiving 10 per cent kickbacks from suppliers of the company.