The leadership of the Music Copyright Society of Ghana (M-COSGA) has indicated that it has not authorized anybody or group of persons to use the name of the society to collect royalties for musicians. It therefore described as unfounded allegations that the leadership was using the name of the society, which has not yet received approval in its operations, to collect royalties on behalf of musicians. This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Mr John Mensah Sarpong, President of the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI) and a leading member of M-COSGA, and released to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on Saturday. It said the rumours were malicious, calculated to tarnish the image of M-COSGA and intended to bring the name of the group into disrepute. The statement said the leadership of the society was aware that it was illegal to operate under the name of a group that had not been commissioned and would not do anything to undermine the credibility of the society and its leaders. It added that the leadership was preventing unscrupulous persons from using the name of the society to collect unauthorized monies from the public. The statement cited an incident in Sunyani where the leadership together with Mr Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, Copyright Administrator for the Northern Sector, reported some people who were issuing receipts in the name of M-COSGA to the police, leading to their arrest. It indicated that the case was pending at the Sunyani police station and asked those who were spreading the rumours to check their facts from the police. The statement called on all stakeholders in the music industry to desist from spreading falsehood about the group. Source: Daily Guide