GAPI's Plot Backfires

John Mensah Sarpong

REPORTS REACHING BEATWAVES indicate that efforts by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI) to demoralize the integrity of the immediate past chairman of the association, , have backfired.

BEATWAVES' investigation revealed that GAPI, which suspected that had been given huge sums of money for an anti-piracy exercise, wrote a letter to the Norwegian Copyright Development Association (NORCODE) urging the association to suspend the grant given to .

BEATWAVES learnt that on November 7 2009, the IMC, headed by Mark Okraku Mantey, wrote a shocking letter to NORCODE requesting for a detailed briefing of the situation on the grant for the upcoming conference from November 30 to December 4 in Cape Coast, and also if John Mensah has been appointed as an anti-piracy coordinator.

“We have observed with keen interest an anti-piracy exercise which was conducted in Kumasi (northern sector inclusive) by the past chairman which nearly marred and dented the hard won integrity and image of this noble Association.

The idea is laudable. We however think it will only be prudent if the grant is suspended before the election is conducted to fore store any resentment and agitation that might possibly be sparked off by the general assembly and the interim board members”, the letter indicated.

Responding to GAPI's letter dated November 11 2009, the chairman of board of directors of NORCODE, John-Willy Rudolph in a letter said: “We are rather disappointed by the strange misconceptions that must be the basis for the letter”.

According NORCODE, no grant has been made available for Mr. Sarpong, GAPI or a possible CMO, adding that GAPI's request for suspension seems most strange.

It explained that in June this year, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and NORCODE jointly conducted a three week advanced course in copyright management in Oslo, which , the immediate past chairman of GAPI, was picked by WIPO as one of the participants.

All participants have undertaken to complete a project at their own cost by the time the final fourth week of the course takes place.

NORCODE further explained that it only paid for accommodation, board and travel for the participants adding, “No grant has been made available for Mr. Sarpong or GAPI.

“I hope this letter clarifies matters for the Interim Committee and that the Committee will assist in stopping whatever rumors that caused you to write to us in the first place”. By George Clifford Owusu