Even before the much awaited public screening of the investigative piece “Number 12”, the Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has suggested some officials of the Ghana Football Association attempted to syphon sponsorship monies into their private accounts.
According to Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., the FA officials whose names he did not mention, gave out their private accounts for sponsorship monies to be transferred into.
The revelation will appear unnerving for many club owners and players of the game who have had to play the league for years without an official league sponsor.
Kweku Baako Jnr made the revelation during a discussion on Peace FM’s morning show programme, Kokrokoo, Wednesday.
The revelation comes hours before the premiere of “Number 12…When misconduct & greed become the norm,” an Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigative piece on corruption in Ghana Football.
For years, there have been allegations of corruption in Ghana football which has been described as the passion of the nation.
The FA had always debunked these allegations and dared the critics to provide evidence to back the allegations.
Not even the findings of the 2014 World Cup Commission of Enquiry was enough to indict the FA officials of any wrongdoing.
For two years, however, ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas went undercover with his team of investigators and has come out with jaw-dropping findings of bribe-taking and corruption involving high profile Ghana FA members, referees, football administrators and other high ranking officials.
The FA president, Kwesi Nyantakyi has been charged with defrauding by false pretence after he was caught on video using the names of the president, Nana Akufo-Addo and his vice Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to solicit monies from supposed investors who were in reality agents of Anas' investigative team.
Malik Kweku Baako Jnr said the findings in the video are enough to end the careers of some promising football administrators.
On Kokrokoo Wednesday, the Editor in Chief of the New Crusading Guide said some FA officials were in breach of the FA’s own ethics by engaging in “football corruption.”
According to Baako Jnr., some of the FA officials signed MOUs with prospective sponsors of the league and gave out their personal accounts for the sponsorship monies to be sent through.
“GFA will tell us if ethically that is what they are supposed to do if they are seeking sponsorship,” he said.
Clause 15 of the GFA Code of Ethics says: “Officials are forbidden from accepting commission or promises of such commission for negotiating deals of any kind while performing their duties, unless the presiding body has expressly permitted them to do so. In the absence of such a presiding body, the body to which the official belongs shall decide.”
Myjoyonline.com has also intercepted pictures suggesting some referees took monies to determine an Accra Hearts of Oak, Berekum Chelsea game but went out to give a “dubious” penalty against the Phobians.
