Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, says he paid $100,000 to investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas through his legal representatives in an attempt to prevent the latter from releasing his investigative documentary on corruption in Ghana football.
The documentary titled “Number 12” was released in June 2018 that led to Nyantakyi’s resignation from his position as he was captured in the feature engaging in suspicious football related activities. He was banned for life by world football governing body, FIFA, as a result but his ban was reduced to 15 years.
Speaking to Onua TV, the former owner of Wa All Stars, admitted he attempted to prevent Anas from releasing the documentary but was unsuccessful and had his financial incentive refunded to him but only in trenches.
“Before the video was released, a former colleague at the GFA Exco, Adam Munkaila, took me to Anas’ lawyers, a certain Kwame Gyan, a lecturer at Legon. I met him at his residence around Westland and he told me Anas was his student and had informed him he needed $150,000 to kill the story.”
‘I gave them $100,000, but they told me the amount was inadequate and later went ahead to release the video.”
“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.”
Following Nyantakyi’s resignation, a Normalization Committee was setup to run the GFA before Kurt Okraku was elected as President of the Football Association.