The Awadada of Anlo Kingdom, Togbi Agbesi Awusu II, and five others, including Togbi Zewu III, Mr. G.A.S. Ladzekpo, Mr. Silas Aidam, Mr. Dan Abodakpi, and Agbotadua Kumassah, who are members of the Hogbetsotsoza Local Planning Committee, have been taken to the Sogakope High Court in a lawsuit concerning the proceeds from the Hogbetsotso annual cultural festival.
The plaintiffs, Mr. Albert Ahialengor and Mr. Atsu Tetteh, convenor and chairman of the Anlo Progressive Youth for Accountability and Development, filed the suit on August 16, 2023.
According to reports, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants, who have been responsible for organizing, planning, and celebrating the festival since 2011, have not provided an account of their stewardship.
The lawsuit states, “Plaintiffs also contend that defendants’ tenure has also been characterized by misappropriation of funds belonging to the Anlo Kingdom or State; resources that should have been channeled into projects in the Kingdom found their way into defendants’ private pockets.”
Having failed in their attempts to obtain accounts from the defendants, the plaintiffs are seeking the court’s declaration that the defendants are trustees and fiduciaries of funds raised in the name of the Anlo Kingdom or State.
They are also requesting full disclosure of all accounts related to Hogbetsotsoza and its affiliates from 2011 onwards, as well as a forensic audit of the income and expenditure accounts for the 2011 Hogbetsotsoza celebration.
The plaintiffs are further praying for the court to compel the defendants to refund any misappropriated funds revealed through the audit process.