The family of the late Ga Mantse, Boni Nii Amugi II, has filed a writ at an Accra High Court that seeks to compel the acting president of the Ga Traditional Council, Nii Adotey Obour II and six others, including a member of the Council of State to render account of all donations they received in respect of the late chief’s funeral.

It is also praying the court to order the defendants to pay or deliver to the head of the Amugi We stool family, all the donations they received for the funeral.

Other defendants cited in the writ are Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru, La Mantse, Nii Dodoo Nsaki, Otublohum Mantse, the Ga Traditional Council, Mrs Bernice Bimpong, Registrar of the Ga Traditional Council, J.S Addo, member of the Council of State and chairman of the Prudential Bank.

According to a statement of claim filed by Nii Yalai Yarkey, acting head of Amugi We stool family, defendants were “recipients of the numerous donations in cash or cheques, in drinks and in live stock” by sympathizers from the general public for the purposes of the Ga Mantse’s funeral”.

The statement said the items were received between August 2004 and January 2007.

It argued that by the custom and usage of all Ga Dangme people, the body of the corpse of a deceased belongs to the father’s side of the surviving family, but not to any stool with which he was associated.

It noted that the Ga Traditional Council has no joint control with the bereaved family or even a share in the control of the funeral of the departed.

It therefore argued that all donations received by the listed entities for the funeral of the Ga Mantse were “received in trust for the bereaved family”.

The statement said apart from an initial 300 million cedis released by the Ga Traditional Council to the funeral committee set up by the bereaved family and assisted by the king makers, Ga Stool Dzaase, the council refused to release any more money to finance the funeral.

It said the family was therefore compelled to raise loans from other sources to finance the funeral.

It said the contained refusal by the traditional council and its appointees to release money received for the funeral for the purposes of paying back the loans has caused the bereaved family a lot of damage and embarrassment.

Source: The Ghanaian Times