Former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi has been granted bail of GHc 1 million over his alleged involvement in the exposé on corruption in Ghana football by journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Nyantakyi, was granted bail, along with one other person, the former Chairman of the Northern Regional Football Association, Abdulai Alhassan with three sureties each, one of whom one is to be justified.
The two have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by agent as well as corruption by a public official.
The pair have, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
The case has been adjourned to March 25 with prosecutors charged to make their disclosures before then.
A lawyer for Nyantakyi, Charles Puozuing, told journalists that he was confident the charges would not stick as they were baseless.
Nyantakyi’s downfall
Kwesi Nyantakyi lost his standing, and all positions in local and international football after Anas Aremeyaw screened his exposé, dubbed #Number12 a year ago which captured the former GFA Boss allegedly working out the details of a supposed $15 million sponsorship money for Ghana’s league.
Nyantakyi told the supposed investor, how he [the investor] could be given several government contracts if he paid bribes to some key government officials such as Ghana’s President and the Vice President.
Per the facts of the case, Nyantakyi was paid a sum $65,000 as inducement and is alleged to have requested for $12 million, which would be shared amongst Nyantakyi and his sidekick, and the above-named government officials.YERARS
Abdulai Alhassan, referred to as Abu in the video, is also alleged to have witnessed Nyantakyi signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the said investors, believed by him to be a Qatari company in order to facilitate the transfer of the agreed funds.
He resigned from his positions at the GFA, WAFU, CAF and FIFA, where he served as a member of the world football governing body’s Executive Council and was later banned from all footballing activities for life.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was directed by the President to investigate the matter and as part of their investigations, they seized mobile phones and laptops of the embattled football administrator as he was formally charged with defrauding by false pretence.
Number 12, almost 2 years later
Just under two years since the documentary by Anas Aremeraw Anas on widespread corruption within Ghana football aired, it appears Nyantakyi who was one of the major scalps from the investigation finally had his day in court.
Despite the fact that the report sent shockwaves throughout the world of football and basically put the game in the country on hiatus for a year, the leading names in the scandal are yet to face legal consequences.
With many Ghanaians agitating over the apparently slow investigations, the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, indicated that her outfit is working to present the case involving Nyantakyi before court, hinting at the time that the legal processes might be initiated in two weeks.
She said that another high-profile case – the killing of a member of Anas’ team, Ahmed Suale who was going to be a key witness – had stalled the case.
Nyantakyi has since been replaced as GFA President by Kurt Okraku.