Minister's 'Girl' Was In Germany Too?

It is emerging that Ms Edith Zineuali, the lady who traveled with the Sports Minister to Cote d'Ivoire for the final of the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament in March, may also have traveled to Germany on the ticket of the Ministry on May 25.

It is not known whether she traveled in the company of the minister, but documents sighted by the Times indicate that her travel arrangements, including the application for her visa and her use of the VVIP Lounge of the Kotoka Airport were processed from the sector ministry.

This time her name was Edith Zinayela.
When contacted on phone yesterday, the embattled minister conceded having embarked on the German trip, but not in the company of any lady.

Checks at the ministry, however, suggested otherwise.

Documents sighted by the Times bear the names of four officials including Ms Zinayela whose visa application fees of GH¢600 were taken care of by the sector ministry.

Other officials on the trip were Mr. Charles Aryeh, deputy chief executive officer of the National Sports Council and Mr. Bartholomew Kofi Kukubor, a deputy director at the ministry.

Sources at the ministry could not give details of the German trip.

"When we enquired what the trip was about, the minister told us they were going on an official duty. And we dared not ask further questions," another source added.

On the lady's inclusion in the Cote d'Ivoire delegation in March, Alhaji Mubarak had told the media that the lady in question was the secretary of the Majority Leader in Parliament who had personally made a request for assistance to watch the CHAN final - and that she was not his girl-friend.

The Sports Minister has been asked by the government to step aside to enable an investigation into allegations of financial malfeasance and abuse of office levelled against him in a report released by the Principal Accountant of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Mr Adim Odoom.