…Leaves frozen foods industry uncertainty
Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, a prominent figure in Ghana’s frozen foods industry and a member of the Council of State representing the Western Region, has passed away.
She was in her 50s.
Asomah-Hinneh, the owner of Labianca Company, was the largest importer of frozen foods in Ghana and West Africa, including fish, beef, chicken, and other poultry products.
She imported thousands of containers of protein products annually.
Her death has created significant uncertainty in the industry.
Details are sketches but The Herald’s information from “Labianca’s Sakumono residence near Tema, is that she collapsed in the early hours of yesterday in her bathroom and died.
Although the exact cause of her death is unknown, it is suspected that she might have suffered from high blood pressure, which could have led to a heart attack or stroke, commonly associated with such sudden falls.
Asomah-Hinneh had previously expressed concerns about the challenging economic conditions in Ghana, particularly the high exchange rates that had significantly increased the cost of doing business.
Labianca’s demise also brings the number of the Council’s members who have passed away in recent times, to two.
Enoch Teye Mensah, commonly known as E. T. Mensah, who represented the Greater Accra Region, died on October 1, 2023, while on medical treatment in South Africa.
He was a Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram from 7 January 1997 to 7 January 2017 and held ministerial appointments in the administrations of Jerry Rawlings from 1993 to 2001 and John Atta Mills from 2010 to 2012 in Ghana.
In recent years, she faced intense scrutiny and calls for her resignation. On August 9, 2022, a report by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) implicated her in corruption-related offences.
The report alleged that she and another official used their positions to secure favourable tax treatment for Labianca Company.
Vitus Azeem, a well-known anti-corruption advocate, demanded her resignation, urging President Akufo-Addo to launch a thorough investigation to uphold his commitment to fighting corruption.
However, the High Court in Accra quashed the OSP’s report, which had found wrongdoing by two individuals in the Labianca case.
The court also ordered the OSP to pay GHC 10,000 in costs, marking a significant turn in the case.
The report had accused Colonel Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Joseph Adu Kyei, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Division, of corruption.
Asomah-Hinneh’s death is a significant loss to Ghana’s frozen foods sector, and her contributions to the industry will be remembered.
