The legal battle between Ghanaian businessman Richard Nii Armah Quaye (RNAQ) and his estranged wife, Joana Quaye, has intensified, with Joana filing a fresh lawsuit at the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court over what she describes as her rightful stake in one of her former husband’s companies.
The writ, filed on June 10, targets Bills Micro Credit Limited, the flagship company associated with Richard Quaye. In the suit, Joana claims she owns a 10 percent shareholding in the company and is therefore entitled to 10 percent of all profits generated by the business since December 2011.
At the centre of the lawsuit is an allegation of fraud. Joana alleges that her shares in Bills Micro Credit Limited were transferred to another individual, identified as Kobina Awuah, without her knowledge or consent.
She is asking the Commercial Court to declare that the shares legally belong to her and to order Richard Quaye and Bills Micro Credit Limited to provide a full account of the company’s profits over the past decade. She is also seeking payment of her alleged share of those profits together with interest calculated at the prevailing bank rate.
The latest legal action marks a significant escalation in the couple’s long-running divorce proceedings, which have been the subject of public attention for several months.
Earlier this year, the Accra High Court delivered judgment in the couple’s matrimonial case, awarding Joana Quaye a lump sum of GH¢300,000, one-third ownership of their Dansoman residence, and two vehicles. The award was considerably lower than the GH¢50 million she had sought from the court.
In delivering the ruling, Justice Dorgu noted that excessively large divorce settlements could create incentives for marriages to be dissolved primarily for financial gain. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Joana subsequently filed an appeal challenging the decision.
Beyond the financial dispute, the divorce has attracted widespread public interest following allegations by Joana that Richard Quaye was involved in a relationship with socialite Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall. She has also sought a court order to prevent Hajia4Reall from having contact with the couple’s children.