Posted
on:
www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Tuesday,
June 16, 2015
The government’s white paper on the 2014 World Cup
Committee appears to have shielded leading NDC party officials who were deeply
involved in the organization of the Black Stars trip to Brazil for the football
fiesta.
However, the report seems to be shepherding Ghana
Football Association (GFA) President Kwasi Nyantakyi to the gallows.
For instance, the report appeared silent on most of the
roles played by Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, then Minister of Youth and Sport whose
evidence before the three-member Commission that investigated the team’s
organization in Brazil, generated public uproar.
It was interesting to note that almost all the
recommendations of Dzemefe Commission that directly indicted Afriyie Ankrah
were vetoed by President Mahama in the white paper.
It will be recalled that immediately Ghana’s worst
ever performance at a World Cup was over, President Mahama removed
Afriyie-Ankrah who was his campaign manager in the 2012 controversial general
elections, and brought him to the Flagstaff House, the seat of government as
Minister of State.
Public perception has it that the John Mahama’s NDC
government is only acting on the report because of what is happening in the
circles of the Federation of International Football (FIFA) which has been
rocked by bribery and corruption scandal.
Under FIFA rules, there is a clause for
non-interference of governments in the organization of the game and Football
Association (FA) chiefs have largely been immune from prosecution but the
indictment of many top FIFA executives by the United States for bribery and
corruption appears to have emboldened other governments to follow suit.
Nyantakyi
Factor
The white paper which was signed by President Mahama
on June 1, 2015 after the Dzemefe Committee submitted its work on March 30,
2015 said the BNI should investigate an amount of $200,000.00 paid to the GFA
Boss by the state towards a friendly match whilst the Black Stars were
preparing for Brazil 2014 and the investigators were required to find out if there
was agents funding of those friendly matches.
The white paper further said Mr. Nyantakyi’s
unwillingness to account for $577,500.00 was “unfinished business” and directed
the BNI to go after him to bring the matter to a conclusion.
“The commission concluded that the GFA President
Kwasi Nyantakyi collected an appearance fee of $577,500.00 for seven management
members but only five of them were at the World Cup,” adding “If it turns out
that only the five named members of the Management Committee who were in Brazil
were paid the appearance fees, then the GFA Chairman should refund the amount
of $165,000.00 being the appearance fees of the two Management Committee
members who were not in Brazil. The government so directs.”
The report said Mr. Nyantakyi should be
investigated for receipt of $200,000.00
from the government towards a friendly match in preparation for the 2014 World
Cup vis a vis agent funding in order to clear any doubt of double funding.
Forensic
audit
The report also said that there should be a forensic
audit of the accounts of the GFA with respect to claims of losses totaling
$1,002,000.00 incurred during matches involving Ghana and Cape Verde, Nigeria
and Togo.
According to the report, the claim by the GFA of an
amount of $350,000.00 received from the Japan match was used to offset the
deficit in the Ghana/Cape Verde match should be investigated.
The BNI will also investigate whether match fees for
the Holland/Ghana game and the Ghana/South Korea match was eventually paid by
the agent or organizer after the GNPC funded it as well as how the GFA applied the FIFA World Cup preparation money of $1.5
million and the $2million the association received from the GNPC vis a vis
match agent funding.
Afriyie
Ankrah escapes
The white paper vetoed the commission’s
recommendation that Afriyie Ankrah should be made to provide the necessary
third party vouchers from the transport companies or refund GH¢15,000.00
reported spent.
The government said “the use of Honour Certificate
to account for this type of expense is not acceptable,” as declared by the
commission with respect to Afriyie-Ankrah was untenable.
According to
the white paper “government is of the view that the members of the Project
Committee are all mature and experienced persons of stature and substance and
should, therefore, be held liable for acts and omission for which they were
assigned responsibility.”
The report said the former minister should only be
held personally liable only in cases where a member of the Project Committee
could not be identified as having been
in charge of a particular matter for which funds had not been accounted for.
E-volution
deals
The report
said that any misapplication or misappropriation of fundsgiven by the GNPC to
E-volution International on behalf of the ministry to establish fan parks
should be refunded by the private company or surcharged to Afriyie Ankrah.
Unaccounted
for expenditure
The government said it had accepted the commission’s
recommendation that the unaccounted for expenditure of GH¢189,000.00 should be
investigated and those found culpable surcharged.
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