Daniel Vanderpuje, CEO of The Cruise People Limite, the company in the ongoing contractual dispute with Ghanaian musician Black Sherif has vowed to seek redress in a civil court.
The cruise line alleged that Black Sherif breached his contract by failing to fulfil his commitments for a scheduled show in Greece on August 19, 2023.
Speaking about the situation, Vanderpuje disclosed that it was important he seeks a just resolution for his company.
“We have a civil suit pending. We will submit the details and he will be served and be required to make a response. We will want to pursue this to its logical conclusion,” he told the media.
He also expressed concerns about the financial losses incurred due to the artist’s alleged no-show and the subsequent impact on the company’s reputation.
“I am sure they don’t want this to happen, neither do I want this to happen. So, we should have a handshake, we get paid and that is it,” he explained.
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Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Vanderpuje said he remains committed to finding an amicable resolution.
He stressed that he does not wish to harm Black Sherif’s career or reputation in the process and hopes to reach a fair settlement that addresses the cruise line’s grievances.
“Because the way we were treated is not fair and we don’t want the public to conceive us as trying to put a stop to his career. We waited for two months trying to use all kinds of means and human resources available to find a lasting solution to this,” he added.
The CEO also addressed the uncertainty surrounding the event adding that they had invested significant resources and efforts in organizing the show.
“The cruise lines could not sell the cabins to the general public. Now they wait till after the 19th and came to tell us that they don’t have our money? We want our money and that’s not all we invested. We paid for an out broadcast to a media house to promote the event. When you book an entire hotel for an event, you prevent other people from having access to the hotel. Then all of a sudden, as the time draws closer, you tell them you’re not interested and that you want to refund the part payment you gave them. That’s what happened to us. You can imagine the damages.”
Addressing the current state of the event, Vanderpuje questioned the reliability of Black Sherif’s assurance to show up for the performance.
Given the ‘Kweku Killer’ singer’s alleged breach of contract and the subsequent legal implications, Vanderpuje expressed doubt about whether Black Sherif would indeed fulfil his commitment, even if he were to assure them of his intention to do so.
“How is the event coming on? He has totally derailed the process. If we take Black Sherif’s word that he will show up, how sure are we that he will?” Mr. Vanderpuje queried.
The VGMA Artiste of the Year was allegedly arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) upon his arrival on the evening of July 19, 2023, following a contractual breach between himself and the cruise line.