Angry Kumasi Youth Lock Up Daily Guide Office

The Kumasi Office of the Daily Guide Newspaper, was locked up on Wednesday dawn by the Kumasi Youth Association who claim a recent publication by the private newspaper had defamed the Asantehene.

Notices were placed at the entrance of the office, demanding an immediate apology and retraction of the story by the newspaper.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, a reporter with Daily Guide , Ernest Adu, said : “we came this Wednesday] morning to find our offices locked with notices saying that we should apologize to Otumfuo.”

According to Mr. Adu, there was a clear notice indicating that, the office will not be opened be if Daily Guide fails to apologize.

The Daily Guide story in question that has supposedly infuriated the youth, was titled “Otumfuo's £350,000 pounds cash causes stir in UK.”

Checks by citifmonline.com established that, Daily Guide Newspaper, has for now pulled down the story from its website.

Background
The Asantehene’s name popped up in the UK media, in a suspected money laundering case, after he sent a bank official to deposit a cash amount of £350,000 on his behalf.

According to the UK’s Telegraph, when Osei Tutu II, summoned Mark Arthur to his multi-million-pound residence in Henley-on-Thames and handed him a bag containing almost £200,000 in sterling as well as $200,000 in US currency with consecutive serial numbers, the bank official felt it inappropriate to ask too many questions.

However, the subsequent deposit of the cash at the Ghana International Bank, triggered a money laundering alert in the City of London and cost Mr. Arthur his job.

According to the report, the King, who once worked at Brent council, summoned Mr. Arthur, the bank's second most senior executive, to his home in August in 2016.

Mr. Arthur, the bank’s official, is currently in a legal tussle over his dismissal for allegedly breaking banking rules.

However, events unfolding suggests that the Bank has not accused the Asantehene of money laundering as has been suggested, and that it is only dealing strictly with its official who bend the rules in such transactions.

Asantehene money laundering claims baseless – Ghana Intl. Bank

The Ghana International Bank has since clarified that, the ongoing tribunal hearing that has captured the public's attention, is not about whether the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II engaged in money laundering or not.

There is not even any suggestion of money laundering allegations against the Asantehene , the Ghana International Bank said.

A statement from the UK-based bank asserted that, the ongoing litigation between the bank and a former Executive Director, Mark Arthur, concerned breaches of the Bank's internal policies and UK laws.

These breaches were said to have happened when Mr. Arthur carried out a transaction on behalf of the Asantehene, reportedly involving £350,000.

This transaction at Ghana International Bank triggered a money laundering alert and cost Mr. Arthur his job.

–
By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com