Raymond Archer the Chief Executive Officer of Universal Labels & Packaging Co. Ltd, whose multi-million dollar printing factory was destroyed by the Ghana Trade Fair Company (GTFC) has revealed in an explosive interview that Board Chairman of GTFC, Daniel McKorley (McDan) is his business partner.
Apparently, McDan who has openly come out to confirm that he is a member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), is fronting to secure lucrative deals from the NPP to Mr. Archer who is perceived as aligned to the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Raymond Archer was on Tuesday in a live interview with Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana responding to what he called “lies” peddled by McDan when he had the same platform, shortly after he ordered a midnight demolition of the US$10 million ultra-modern print factory of Universal Labels & Packaging Co. Ltd.
Mr. Archer did not disclose the exact nature of his business dealings with McDan, but claimed McDan had lied when he said the two occasions he met with Mr. Archer was to discuss his eviction litigation.
According to Mr. Archer, one of the meeting with McDan had nothing to do with the GTFC saga and everything to do with the business dealing being fronted by McDan. He said for him, the “gloves are off” with McDan and if he [McDan] dares, he will reveal everything concerning the business dealing, including some derogatory comments he passed at some prominent officials in the NPP administration.
Last Sunday, and against a pending suit in court over the GTFC plans to forcefully evict some tenants, including Raymond Archer, the GTFC under the command of its CEO, Dr. Agnes Adu and McDan, ordered a heavily armed detachment of police and military officers in bulldozers to pull down the printing factory which reportedly have massive machines used for printing labels for international brands such as Johnny Walker Black Label.
Mr. Archer who is a legal tenant on the premises of the GTFC explained to Whatsup News that he and several tenants at the premises were approached some three years ago about the intention of the GTFC to redevelop their facility, which resulted in a long-drawn legal suit.
“Four years ago, I was here when officials came that they want to redevelop the Trade Fair so I said okay. I’m a legal tenant and my construction was actually supervised by the Trade Fair. I’ve put in $10 million here…so they started doing a whole lot of things here which made me head to court,” he recalled.
Last week Wednesday, the GTFC reportedly went to secure a clandestine order from the court to lift an injunction placed on the redevelopment process by tenants of the GTFC. Raymond Archer who is the founder of the now-defunct Enquirer Newspaper said, when he caught wind of the new court order, he immediately asked hi lawyer to file an appeal. But the midnight raid was done in total disregard for the pending case.
“Last Wednesday they went to court to lift an injunction that the court had placed on the Trade Fair, so my lawyer immediately filed an appeal and a stay of execution which was served on them on Wednesday and Thursday. Then this midnight [Sunday] they come here with bulldozers, lock the gates so that no one can see, come here armed to the teeth just to break down the factory that we’ve built with our toil over ten years,” Mr Archer narrated.
Already, the GTFC is facing a number of other legal challenges from hundreds of other tenants who have warned of the GTFC’s illegal eviction moves.
Government plans to restructure the trade fair centre into a multi-purpose trade and convention centre. It has invited private investors into the project that is estimated to cost over US$ 1 billion.
Four companies are said to have been shortlisted for the project with a first phase covering over 100 acres, but insiders say the Dr. Agnes Adu, McDan and the NPP administration have an underhand dealing in the redevelopment plan, hence the haste to evict tenants without compensating them.