We’re the Only Body Mandated to Take Musicians’ Royalties – GHAMRO
With regards to a story published by razzonline.com that ace musician Randy Noonoo had been arrested for allegedly ‘duping’ a GHAMRO client of GHc 3,000, the Ghana Music Rights Organisation has issued a caution to its clients.
In a statement sighted by Citi Showbiz from the Public Relations officer of GHAMRO, Prince Tsegah on 29th December, 2017, the association intimates that Mr. Randy Noonoo took the said money from a client of GHAMRO when he had stopped working as collection agent from GHAMRO.
He further stated that GHAMRO is the only institution mandated by law to take royalties on behalf of music right owners and that clients should be cautious of imposters.
Read the full statement below:
Our attention has been drawn to a publication by Razzonline.com with the caption “Randy Noonoo arrested for duping Ghamro client of Ghc3000.00” on 27th December, 2017 and same carried extensively by other numerous websites nationwide.
The Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), wishes to take this opportunity to confirm and throw more light on the issue and to lay to rest, the veracity regarding the uncertainty of the said publication.
The Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) is a Collective Management Organization established under the Copyright Act of 2005, Act 690 and regulated by Legislative Instrument 1962, Copyright Regulations 2010 to licence, collect and distribute royalties to members. As part of our efforts to maximize collections and compensate right owners for the use of their music, the society undertakes nationwide licensing operations through Special Taskforce, Users Association, Agents and appointed Licensing Officers of which Randy Noonoo was a member.
Sometime in 2015, GHAMRO management appointed and trained Mr. Randy Noonoo, who is also a member of the Society, as a licensing agent to license and collect royalties at a commission of 20%. The operational process for such appointed agents is to deliver assessment, collect and pay the collections to the Society after which the due commission is calculated and paid. Somewhere in February, 2016, Randy Noonoo discontinued his service to the Society and was paid the due compensation accrued to him.
During GHAMRO’s routine audit and follow up on its clients this year, it was discovered that Foods Inn, one of GHAMRO’s clients located on the Spintex Road in Accra paid an amount of Ghc 3000.00, to Mr. Randy Noonoo. This was at the time when he was no longer working with GHAMRO.
Against the due process, he did not also pay the money to GHAMRO as the case should be. The documents available to GHAMRO indicate that Mr. Randy Noonoo collected the payment on three different occasions by instalments with the last payment dated 25/2/17. Upon confirmation of the receipt of the payment from Foods Inn, a report was made to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, hence his invitation and subsequent arrest on Wednesday the 27th December, 2017.
Reports reaching GHAMRO head office also indicates that some anonymous persons including a group calling itself united concerned members of GHAMRO chaired by the said Mr. Randy Noonoo and other members including Mr. John Mensah Sarpong and George Dickson have been engaging and encouraging commercial music users in the Central, Ashanti and Western regions not to pay any money to GHAMRO, since the organisation is under review ordered by the Attorney General.
GHAMRO wishes to state emphatically that it is the only organisation mandated under the copyright laws of Ghana to license, collect and distribute royalties and other remuneration accrued to the music right owners in Ghana and such orders should be disregarded and treated with the contempt it deserves.
GHAMRO craves the indulgence of the general public, especially commercial music users like restaurants, pubs, shops, spinners and hotels etc. to kindly call our hotlines 0540132225/ 0540512237 for any enquiry and disclose information to help investigate this unfortunate incident, to restore the image and uprightness of the society.
Background
Randy Noonoo is among the few people who have riled the administration of GHAMRO and had complained about lack of transparency in the work of the GHAMRO executive.
He had then contested the GHAMRO chairmanship position in 2016 together with legendary high-life musician, Akosua Adjapong and John Mensah Sarpong but lost to Rex Omar.
The three later spearheaded formation of the United Concerned Members of GHAMRO, a pressure group that has been very critical of the Rex Omar administration.
Randy Noonoo is well-known for songs like ‘Ghana Mapuka,’ ‘Philomina’ and ‘Mehye Me Goal.’
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