BSP-21 Ghana court suspends football federation

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BSP-21

GHANA-FBL-CORRUPTION

Ghana court suspends football federation

ACCRA, June 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A Ghana court on Tuesday ordered the
suspension of the country’s embattled football federation, paving the way for
its dissolution following explosive corruption allegations.

The High Court of Ghana granted the request of Ghana’s attorney general
Gloria Akuffo to suspend the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and its
officials.

“GFA has undermined its existence and therefore in the interest of
protecting the national interests, we say the attorney general owes the duty
to take urgent measures to stop this,” Akuffo said in the country’s capital
of Accra.

“The GFA has now become an instrument for self-aggrandisement by people who
run it to make themselves rich.”

In an explosive documentary aired last week, a Ghanaian investigative
journalist used a hidden camera to allegedly capture federation officials and
referees soliciting bribes worth millions of dollars.

After the release of the film, Ghana government announced it wanted to
“take immediate action” to dissolve the GFA.

On Friday, the governing body of world football FIFA announced a 90-day
suspension of the GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi.

In the documentary aired last Wednesday, Nyantakyi was accused of
requesting $11 million from reporters posing as investors to secure
government contracts.

Football is Ghana’s national sport and the revelations have sent shockwaves
through the country just under a week before the start of the World Cup
finals in Russia.

Ghana’s senior men’s team, the Black Stars, failed to qualify.

BSS/AFP/MRI/2004 hrs