Charterhouse laughs off VGMA bribery claim; says it’s impossible

Board chairman of the 2016 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, Nii Ayite Hammond, has stated it is impossible for any musician to bribe organisers of the award scheme to influence who wins what as is being alleged.

“No individual takes decision on who wins what. When nominations are out in the public domain, there is 40% voting from the public, 30% from the academic (made up of stakeholders in the industry) and 30% from the board” he told Onua FM.

“For anybody to win an award, you must at least have votes from these three categories of people. Let’s assume you have been able to bribe the board to vote for you, how can you bribe the academy you don’t know? How can you bribe the public you don’t know?” he asked.

According to Mr Hammond who works with the organisers, Charterhouse, the system being used for the award is an improved one managed by an independent auditing firm KPMG, saying “they manage all data that comes in terms of voting for the VGMA” Mr Hammond was speaking on Onua FM’s entertainment show, Aniye Mmre in response to allegations by Head of Communications at Charterhouse, George Quaye, that some gospel artistes attempted to bribe him.

His allegation has been condemned by some stakeholders and players including Cwesi Oteng and Anita Afriyie.

Ohemaa Mercy and Michael Oware Sakyi, aka OJ, have threaten to return all their awards if George Quaye refuses to mention the names of those who offered him the bribe, arguing that the allegation cast a dent on their reputation which took them years to build