Colombia’s Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy in Ghana has written to the organiser of last month’s first African Para Games in Accra to protest over unpaid bills for a website developed by a company in Bogotá.
Claudia Milena Vaca, appointed to represent her country in the West African nation last year, has taken up the case of Altheroh who are among several companies not to have been paid for work they carried out for the Games.
The Games were organised by the African Paralympic Committee (APC) under the presidency of Samson Deen, who is from Ghana.
The event website was taken offline by Altheroh on the eve of the Games opening after they were not paid for the work they had done.
Deen told insidethegames on several occasions that the website would be back up at some point during the Games, but it remained offline.
Vaca was among a number of foreign dignitaries who attended the Opening Ceremony of the event on September 3 at the invitation of Deen.
“The Colombian company Altheroh has informed the diplomatic mission in Ghana and me that you and the company you represent has failed to meet the payments that is minimum 30,000 dollars for the more than four months of work and services,” Vaca wrote to Deen.
“We all hope African Paralympic Games will always be remembered in Accra – but also in Colombia – as a positive event that benefit all and make us proud.
Altheroh contacted Vaca after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) refused to intervene in the dispute.
They claimed, that “These are matters that need to be resolved between the respective unpaid companies and the Organising Committee.”
The response from Deen, however, showed no indication that he is willing to settle his debt.
He has alleged that Altheroh were the ones at fault.
“Altheroh, in a very crude manner, pulled down the website and shut down everything to destabilise the Games planning,” Deen wrote in a reply to Vaca.
Deen, who is also President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ghana, claimed that he was “shocked to receive such a wicked attack against me.”
Deen added, “I never expected such a vicious fight against me, and I remain in shock when I have always meant so good for Altheroh.”
Insidethegames is also among companies not to have been paid, despite signing a contract with the Ghanaian organisers.
Following our article on the situation in August, Deen accused Altheroh of “posting fake stories and trying to damage my personality”. –Insidethegames.biz
