Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu has made new revelations about the National Cathedral project, after a trip to the United States of America.
The lawmaker, who has been a serial critic of the project, alleging financial misappropriation and corporate governance breaches by the government has made new dsiclosures as relates to the incorporation of the project in the United States.
His latest post of May 2, 2023, made a number of serious disclosures about the project, five of which are produced below:
a. Cathedral project registered in Washington DC under different name
b. No member of clergyman on Ghana Board of Trustees listed in US documents
c. Address to US registration documents fraudulent
d. Ablakwa meet American consultant paid US$6m over the project
e. Identity of two ‘unknown’ men in US incorporation documents revealed.
Cathedral project registered in Washington DC
Ablakwa revealed in a write-up that the project is registered in the US state of Washington DC under the name: “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.”
“Articles of Incorporation we have secured from the District of Columbia Government’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (corporation’s division) confirm that a nonprofit corporation has been registered known as the “National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.” (Articles of Incorporation duly attached).
This National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. received its Certificate of Incorporation with its effective date being May 3, 2021 and signed by Josef G. Gasimov, Superintendent of Corporations, Corporations Division. (See certificate attached).
“It is worthy of note that the name National Cathedral of Ghana and Museum Foundation, Inc. is unmistakably different from what was incorporated in Ghana some two years prior, specifically on the 18th of July, 2019 as the National Cathedral of Ghana.
No member of clergy listed in US documents
Ablakwa revealed that even though there are three members listed as trustees in the US documentation, only one of them contained in counterpart registration papers of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
“Curiously, we have also discovered that none of the prominent Ministers of the Gospel who serve as Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana feature in the articles of incorporation and list of governors as submitted to US authorities.
The names of governors and authorized persons as contained in the Two-Year Report for Domestic & Foreign Filing Entity are: Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko. (See Report attached).
“In US corporate terms “governor” typically refers to a member of the board of directors.
“We know Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah as the Executive Director of the “National” Cathedral Secretariat, however, it is unclear why government preferred Mr. Eric Okyere Darko and Dr. Vernon Darko over and above the prominent clergy serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana,” he stated.
Address to US registration is fraudulent
“Even more shocking, we have discovered that the address provided on both the “National” Cathedral of Ghana website and to US authorities as the official address of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. is absolutely fraudulent. The advertised address is: National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.
1090 Vermont AVE NW,
Washington, DC 20005.
“A personal visit to this address in Washington, DC and thorough verification from managers of the property indicate that the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. has never been a tenant at that address.
“Indeed, none of the offices of the 12-floor apartment building has ever been occupied by the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc. or any agency representing this entity. The managers of the property were furious and clear that what was going on was simply criminal,” the post read in part.
Ablakwa ‘busts’ American consultant to project
We also decided to embark on the long travel to Springfield in Missouri where Mr. Cary Lee Summers who has been given US$6million of our money is described on the National Cathedral of Ghana website as “Consultant for the United States.”
On the “National” Cathedral website, the website of Nehemiahgroup.io and with official documents filed with US authorities, Cary Lee Summers provides this address for his Nehemiah Group: 3119 S Scenic Ave, Suite A, Springfield, MO 65807.
When we arrived at that address, there was nothing about the Nehemiah Group. We surprisingly saw quite a ramshackle warehouse with the inscription: Churchill Coffee Company, Wholesale Division.
While I was assessing the shacky warehouse which has portions used as a gym, Mr. Cary Lee Summers stepped out of his coffee wholesale division and made it into my pictures while briskly entering his car in very casual attire (Pictures attached)
Ablakwa reveals identity of two ‘unknown’ men in US incorporation documents
Checks conducted indicate that Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was appointed to the Board of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) by President Akufo-Addo and sworn in by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on October 12, 2021 — a few months after he was listed as one of three governors of the National Cathedral of Ghana and Bible Museum Foundation, Inc.
Mr. Eric Okyere Darko was also one of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong’s lawyers in the recent case against Anas.
Dr. Vernon Darko on the other hand is said to be the founder and CEO of EQUIPXP® (EXP) and a small business exporter. It is not clear what his usefulness will be to a National Cathedral project.