The ex-wife of Ghanaian businessman Joana Quaye has filed an application at the Divorce and Matrimonial Division of the Accra High Court seeking to restrain her former husband from selling, transferring, or disposing of several assets and company shares pending the determination of her appeal.
The application, filed through Dame & Partners, is directed against businessman Richard Nii Armah Quaye and forms part of an ongoing legal dispute over the distribution of marital property following the dissolution of their marriage.
Court filing seeks protection of assets
According to court documents, Mrs. Quaye is asking the court for an injunction pending appeal, arguing that without such an order, there is a risk that the disputed properties could be dissipated before the appellate court determines the matter.
She is also challenging aspects of the original divorce judgment, including alleged delays in the release of the full written ruling, which she claims affected her constitutional right of appeal.
In her affidavit, she stated: “I am advised by counsel and verily believe same to be true that manifest injustice has been worked against me… and the Respondent ought not to be given the opportunity to dissipate the property acquired during the subsistence of the marriage pending the determination of the appeal.”
She further argued that any disposal of assets would render a favourable appeal “an empty legal shell.”
Claims of contributions to business empire
Mrs. Quaye detailed what she described as joint efforts during the marriage to build businesses and acquire assets, including the establishment of microfinance operations that later evolved into larger financial enterprises.
She told the court that: “While still dating, the Respondent and I opened a joint account… and jointly invested the funds… which matured in 2008.”
She also claimed that she contributed financially and personally to early business ventures:
“I closed my personal bank account… and used same as seed money to start a micro-finance enterprise… within six months after the Respondent had returned from the UK.”
The affidavit further alleges that a company jointly incorporated during the marriage was later renamed and altered without her consent, including the removal of her name from company records.
Allegations of asset transfers and company restructuring
Mrs. Quaye also alleges that her former husband unilaterally removed her as a shareholder and director of one of the companies built during the marriage, describing the action as unlawful.
She further told the court that she became aware of the changes only during trial proceedings under cross-examination.
The affidavit argues that most of the wealth accumulated during the marriage—including company shares, real estate, and luxury vehicles—should be treated as marital property subject to equitable distribution.
Disputed assets listed in application
The application references interests in several companies, including Quick Credit, Quick Angels, Waterfall Engineering, Tigon Entertainment, Ridge Medical Centre, and CEQA Foods.
It also cites multiple properties reportedly located in Trasacco Estates, East Legon, Dansoman, and Mamprobi, as well as luxury vehicles including high-end SUVs and saloon cars.
Mrs. Quaye is urging the court to preserve these assets, arguing, “If the Respondent is not restrained… irreparable damage and a travesty of justice would have been occasioned me as there will be no assets to be shared equitably.”
Next steps
Mrs. Quaye contends that delays in obtaining the full written judgment affected her ability to fully exercise her right of appeal.
However, the High Court is expected to determine whether to grant the injunction pending the outcome of the appeal at the Court of Appeal.
The case adds a new dimension to the long-running matrimonial and commercial dispute involving one of Ghana’s prominent businessmen, while drawing national attention to issues of marital property, corporate ownership, and fairness in asset distribution after divorce.
