Catherine Afeku, a former Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, has given further details of how the ministry spent the Marine Drive Project cash the Auditor General’s report cited was misapplied.
The audit report which covered the period ending 31st December 2020, stated that an amount of GH¢ 387,196.00 meant for the Marine Drive Project was misapplied by the Ministry and rather spent on the celebration of the Kundum festival and other initiatives.
According to the report GH¢200, 000 was drawn from the Marine Drive Project and spent on the Kundum festival in 2018.
Speaking on Eye Witness News on Citi FM on Friday, August 23, 2021, Catherine Afeku said the money was used to pay artistes that performed at the Axim Kundum Festival in 2018.
“We had artistes and I have a list of all of them. Everybody can go to YouTube and they’ll see them,” she said.
“I didn’t go round dishing money into people’s hands. Ask anybody who does events. GH¢200, 000 to take of the likes of Medikal, Stonebwoy, Wisa Greid, Kuami Eugene, KiDi, Kwesi Arthur, a lot of them. I was promoting our local artistes and it was not a crime,” she added.
She said the amount did not even suffice so she had to rely on individual donors to pay all the artistes their due.
Some of the artistes that performed at the Axim Kundum Festival in 2018 were D-Black, Agya Koo, Sefa, Kofi Kinaata, among others.
She also admitted to the release of GH¢100,000.00 to Palm Media Ghana Ltd. for the launch of AFRIMA 2018 on 17th-19th May 2018.
Catherine Afeku also indicated that the GH¢73,000.00 paid as additional expenditure for the Minister’s trip to the Volta Region from 15th to 18th June 2018 catered for herself and some musicians she went with.
Speaking on Peace FM on Saturday, August 23, 2021, revealed that the entire AFRIMA celebration cost $ 250,000.
She however noted that the whole amount that was taken from the Marine Drive Project coffers was later replaced.