The
High
Court
in
Accra
has
adjourned
the
trial
of
former
Ghana
Football
Asoociation
(GFA)
President,
Mr
Kwasi
Nyantakyi
and
one
other
to
October
16,
2024.
Mr
Nyantakyi
is
being
prosecuted
by
the
state
for
alleged
fraud
and
corruption
after
investigative
journalist,
Anas
Aremeyaw
Anas
secretly
recorded
in
a
video
titled
#12#
in
2018.
The
accused
and
Abdulai
Alhassan,
the
former
Northern
Regional
GFA
President
had
pleaded
not
guilty
to
all
charges
filed
against
them.
The
court,
presided
over
by
Justice
Marie-Louise
Simmons
adjourned
the
case
to
October
16,
pending
the
outcomes
of
two
appeals
filed
by
both
the
prosecution
and
the
defence
before
the
Court
of
Appeal.
The
prosecution
has
appealed
the
order
of
the
High
Court
asking
Anas
to
unmask
himself
to
Nyantakyi
in
chambers
before
testifying
in
open
court
while
masked.
The
other
appeal
is
from
Nyantakyi’s
lawyers.
Justice
Simmons
had
previously
stated,
“If
by
April,
no
meaningful
steps
have
been
taken
by
the
prosecution,
Nyantakyi
would
be
discharged.”
In
June
2018,
Anas
released
a
video
investigation
which
captured
the
former
GFA
President
along
with
several
other
football
administrators
and
officials
compromising
the
integrity
of
the
game.
Mr
Nyantakyi
resigned
from
all
his
roles
at
the
GFA,
CAF
and
FIFA,
and
was
eventually
handed
a
15-year
ban
from
football
after
an
initial
life
ban
was
reversed.
However,
according
to
the
former
CAF
Vice
President,
Anas
through
his
lawyers,
demanded
$150,000
to
kill
the
story,
but
he
could
only
come
up
with
$100,000.
According
to
Mr
Nyantakyi,
the
journalist
deemed
the
amount
inadequate
after
which
the
video
was
released.
“After
the
video
came
out,
I
asked
for
a
refund
and
even
the
refund
was
done
in
pieces.
Today,
they
would
bring
$20,000,
and
the
next
day
another
$10,000.
They
were
giving
me
stories,
but
eventually
I
got
everything
back,”
he
said.
In
a
statement
made
on
social
media,
Anas
denied
the
allegations
stressing
that
core
mission
of
his
investigative
network
known
as
Tiger
Eye
was
to
expose
and
confront
corruption.
Therefore,
he
said
any
notion
that
he
was
shielding
corrupt
individuals
was
utterly
preposterous
given
the
extensive
resources
and
efforts
invested
in
producing
such
exposés.
“Tiger
Eye
P.I.
unequivocally
asserts
that
any
purported
criminal
arrangement
between
Mr
Nyantakyi
and
any
alleged
lawyer
remains
solely
between
Mr
Nyantakyi
and
the
purported
recipient,”
it
said.
“Tiger
Eye
P.I.
firmly
denies
any
involvement
or
knowledge
of
such
activities.
Should
Mr
Nyantakyi’s
claims
hold
substance,
we
challenge
him
to
pursue
legal
action
against
Lawyer
Kwame
Gyan,
including
lodging
a
petition
with
the
General
Legal
Council,
to
substantiate
his
allegations,”
it
added.
Anas
also
said
that
Mr
Nyantakyi,
by
his
admission,
was
a
self-confessed
bribe-giver,
and
a
bribe-taker
for
attempting
to
bribe
his
way
out
of
a
painstaking
investigation
into
his
conduct.
Therefore,
per
his
self-confessed
bribery
attempt,
he
said
the
former
GFA
boss
had
proven
that
the
life-ban
from
taking
part
in
any
kind
of
football-related
activity
at
national
and
international
level
for
conflict
of
interest
and
bribery
offences
provided
for
by
FIFA
Code
of
Ethics
(FCE)
was
justified.
“It
is
noted
that
Mr
Nyantakyi
appears
to
be
endeavouring
to
restore
his
credibility,
presumably
with
aspirations
to
contest
as
a
parliamentary
candidate
for
the
Ejisu
Constituency
under
the
New
Patriotic
Party,”
the
statement
said.
“The
decision
regarding
Mr
Nyantakyi’s
eligibility
rests
with
the
NPP
and
the
constituents
of
Ejisu.
Nonetheless,
it’s
imperative
to
emphasise
that
Tiger
Eye
P.I.
conducted
a
thorough
investigation,
leading
to
Mr
Nyantakyi’s
conviction
and
subsequent
ban
from
football
activities
due
to
bribery,
conflict
of
interest,”
it
added.
BY
MALIK
SULLEMANA