Minister dragged to court over ‘apuskeleke’ affair

Mr. Tony Osei Tutu, husband of Madam Martha Nkrumah, who was alleged to be having an affair with the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Mr. Thomas Broni, has dragged the minister before an Accra High Court for breaking up his marital home. In a petition filed at the court jointly against his wife and Broni on June 16, Osei Tutu accused Mr. Broni of committing adultery with his wife for which he finds it impossible to continue living with her. He said as a result of the adulterous union between his wife and the minister, he had suffered loss and damages and was therefore praying the court for the dissolution of the marriage between them. As part of his claim, which included general damages, cost and such others as the court may consider fit, Osei Tutu said he wanted to have custody of their two children.
In April 1995, according to the petition, OseiTutu, got married to Martha customarily at Abeka Lapaz in Accra after he had complied with all the requirements under the Akan customary marriage.
He said after the marriage, they lived at Kpehe in Accra where they were blessed with their two children now 8 and 4.
However, Osei Tutu said following the adulterous relationship between his wife and the minister, Broni rented a residential premise for his wife at Accra Newtown and paid an initial sum of ¢9 million for the place.
He said since April 2002, his wife had deserted him and moved out of their matrimonial home to the rented premises with their children.
According to Osei Tutu when he attempted to take custody of the children Broni instigated his wife to report him to the police as a result of which he was arrested and detained and was denied access to his children.
The petitioner said Broni also used his position as a Deputy Minister to arrange with the Ghana National Procurement Agency to supply his wife with commodities on regular basis, as a means of keeping her in business for purpose of retaining her loyalty and making her dependent on him.
Osei Tutu, who said there had never been any prior threat on their marriage before stated attempts to reconcile their differences had failed and not even the interventions of elders, and family members could bring them back together.
He said he had been able to withstand these traumatic events calmly so far by means of prayers and also by the realization that his party was in power and was headed by a man the nation adored.