The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kenkey Boutique restaurant – one of the three catering companies that fed more than 500 Ghanaian football fans in Brazil, during the FIFA 2014 World Cup tournament – has told the presidential commission investigating Ghana’s participation in the Mundial that they are still owed some money for their 15-day culinary services in the Latin American country.
Mercy Amina Dawuda Sackey said Wednesday that all the three companies were first given part payments of US$2,000 apiece for their services while in Brazil, and later given a little above US$17,000 apiece, in addition, on the eve of their departure back home after Ghana crashed out of the tournament at the group stages.
She said the first installment was given to her and the two others: Mrs Quashigah and one Monice, by a man she named as Chairman Danny.
The second installment, she added, was paid to them by the same Danny, together with two others he only named as Fred and Larry.
According to her, none of the caterers was directly given money to shop for foodstuffs to do the three-times a day cooking for the hundreds of fans ferried to Brazil to cheer the Black Stars on. She revealed that the shopping was mostly done by other people on their behalf, led by a certain woman she named only as Efua.
Sackey said all three caterers were “surprised” about the amount of money paid them, since their initial agreement with the Sports Ministry stated categorically that they were to feed each of the fans with a daily budget of US$35.
According to her, there was no subsequent agreement to pay them any additional money despite protesting that the amount paid them was inadequate.
“We were not happy because we had spent a lot of our own money…we were dumbfounded but they gave us some papers to sign as having received those monies…we called them when we came back home to tell them that we run at a loss so, therefore, they should see what they can do for us…they say they will call us but the call has since not come…my phone is never off because I’m very expectant of that call”, she said.
“…We are expecting Joel Nettey to call us…he said he will call us so we’re still waiting for his call and we’re also pleading with the commission to intervene if possible”, she told the Commission.
Asked by Commission Chairman Justice Dzamefe about how much they expect to be added to the money already paid to them, Amina Sackey said: “Now I can’t talk alone so we’ll be presenting a paper”.
However, counsel for Amina Sackey told the Commission that per his calculations, he believed the caterers were entitled to a balance of US$321,000 minus US$51,000.
