Some say entrapment, others call it undercover journalism, and there are those who believe it’s criminal to set up another and in turn call him a criminal.
“It’s unfair” they say, which ever way you see it, Tiger Eye PI is set out for results and how they get it doesn’t matter to them and to a chunk of doomsayers and naysayers.
It could be your first time of being caught or engaging in an uncompromising deal, but it will be infused in the minds of the world that has been the real you, an imposter portraying himself a saint.
If a thief is caught on his first field action, he’s thief no matter what. If an armed robber is caught on his first duty on the field, he’s an armed robber and no attempts should be made to defend that.
However, this robbery comes genuinely, but ends up murky. The yet to be premiered exposeé on corruption and match fixing in Ghana football is one of them.
The Ghana FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi is currently being investigated by the Police CID because he was set up and he made some comments about highly placed state officials including the President, Nana Addo
As the head of football in the country, it’s in his domain to seek for sponsorship anywhere across the globe. It’s in his domain to meet potential investors in the game of football in the country, and in one of those, it turned ugly. He was roped into this gutter by a well orchestrated team.
Football people included. Some of them, to be more specific one of them according to my sources followed the team of investigators to some of the league centers. He was at EL WAK and Dawu with them.
But this is how it all began.
About two years ago, a gentleman, Ahmed Hussein Suale visited a venue of the Northern Regional Football Association women’s football gala. He appeared with his camera out of the blue to video the games and organisers approached him for answers.
His explanation was convincing. He told them he was with a Company in Dubai called MedGulf. They were interested in establishing themselves in Ghana and also would want to support women’s football and as an indigen of the Northern region, he chose home.
He was shooting the games to present to his employers he has worked with for seven years on why they should support women’s football in the Northern region. He praised their initiative of Women’s football gala.
After the games, Vice Women’s Football Association Chair in the region, Mr. Bawah Nuhu and some executives decided to relay information about the visitor they had to the first in command of football in the region.
At about 21:00 GMT one evening, a call came through Abu’s phone, when he answered, there came a voice from the other end in Dagbani “Aniwula” (to wit, good evening), “n’naaa” (responds to greetings.) The voice at the end of the phone, said he was Ahmed Hussein Suale, an indigene of the Northern region.
According to him, MedGulf, a company, he has been part of in the last seven years wanted an opportunity to support Women’s football in Ghana, and as native of the region, the best place to introduce them to was the Northern region and he was asked to call him because he is Chairman of football in the region.
Hussein was invited over to Abu’s house. Ate his food and he bought a flight ticket for him to return to Accra.
Their friendship began in earnest.
Conversations of how to get MedGulf to sponsor women’s football began within a week. Hussein Ahmed claim the people would be visiting Ghana and deal could be struck if they arrived in town.
Abu and his ExCo were happy about the deal. Three days after he said they were coming to town, he called to talk about how MedGulf wants to be well established in Ghana, how can they gain a bigger presence in the country?
The Northern Regional Footballs Association Chairman suggested two things: Sponsor the Ghana premier league or the Black Stars. That would give national mileage.
How do we reach out to authorities at the top? Abu offered to help. He told them he is an Executive Committee member and could speak to President directly on their behalf.
Abu held preliminary discussions before reaching out to Kwesi.
After pre negotiations, MedGulf, according to sources were willing to part with $5 million a season for the Ghana premier league for the next three years. It was genesis of getting the embattled FA President into the deal. A communique was reached out to the CAF 1st Vice President who said “the deal is too good be true.”
He had a funny feeling about the offer for the league, but several attempts were made to convince him to accept that this was real and he finally fell for it.
They held their first meeting at Coco Vanila. Sources say, Ahmed was on phone through out with MedGulf hierarchy at the negotiations table.
Some members of the Executive Committee were told of the impeding deal. Most of them were well aware there was negotiations with a Dubai company to sponsor the league but they knew little.
So Kwesi and Abu began work on due diligence.
In their quest to find out how authentic the company was and their financial muscle to cough out $5 million every year, they found out that it is an insurance company which has been in existence since 1980 and are in nine different countries including Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and London.
In 2009, MedeGulf was ranked among the top 10 Arab World’s largest companies by Al-Iktissad Wal Aamal Magazine, in 2010 MedGulf was ranked 3rd in terms of GWP exceeding US$676 million and Net profit of US$74 million by Al Bayan Economics Magazine. These details can be found on their website: http://www.medgulf.com.
It got them convinced that this was a genuine deal, if you can make $74m net profit, $5m a season shouldn’t be a big deal, so the FIFA Council member accepted an invite to Dubai to meet the Board of this company for discussions.
On his first trip, he didn’t meet the heads of the company and had to return to the country.
He was disappointed and angry in equal measure, but a second trip was organised they made the trip through Litinia Travel and Tours, this was in September 2017. The meeting happened. They were three people he met. They apologized for the first trip he made. They catered for his accommodation and feeding, the first one, he funded his flight, accommodation and feeding.
Fruitful conversations were held. Joy on the faces of all. He was happy man. Finally, there will be sponsor for the league.
MedGulf spoke about their intent to establish a branch in Ghana, but in the meantime, who would represent their interest to ensure the FA adhere to the clauses in the agreement.
Both parties agreed to draft MOU of confidentiality to be signed. Namax, a marketing firm in Ghana, of which Abdulai Alhassan was the head offered to be their representatives in Ghana to make sure they get what was due them in the partnership.
They were supposed to be the brokers of the deal and would demand 20% of commission when all is finally done.
Nyantakyi drafted the MOU. Deal sealed forT a representative, but contract was pending.
They were now having a friendly conversation when CEO MedGulf, Sheikh Al Thani revealed how he has worked with politicians in Ghana.
Everything switched out of the main focus.
In all these meetings and negotiations, at no point was Anas around. The GFA boss knows Anas so well and he would have known if he had seen him so never met Kwesi or Abu or joined them for any meeting. Interestingly, the conversations of some of the meetings was in Dagbani.
It was during one of these conversations that the Al Thani revealed that $8 million and $5 million were used to finance the campaign of a certain party in their elections in 2016. The names mentioned rang a bell (these names can’t be made public for now)
This was to further convince hat it was real.
Kwesi said if you did that in 2016, I have a gentleman who wants to hold a certain position politically, the person is not a Ghanaian, he is a friend of the Ghana FA boss.
He also offered on advise on how they can secure deals in Ghana if they really want to.
Sheikh Al Thani and his team offered to help his friend also reach out to the Ghanaian politicians. They advised that his friend can come around to meet them for a discussion.
When Kwesi returned from the trip, he communicated to the friend who was willing for their support.
More trips were made, the said politician made his trips with an entourage. They spent close to five days, but the so-called investors refused to meet them, they were disappointed.
Their bills which totaled $71,000 (flight, accommodation and feeding), plus Ghana FA boss of $10,000… there was a refund of $40,000, meanwhile in total, it was $81,000. Tiger PI alleged to be the team that engaged them, never paid the remaining $41,000.
There was also the conversations of how to help government officials in Ghana and even scheduled meetings outside Ghana never materialise.
The danger lines were never shown. The Ghana FA boss kept following up for the deals to be sealed but it never happened.
Hussein never answered nor returned calls.
There were two things: he was fighting to salvage his image before his friends, and also earn some sponsorship deal for the Ghana premier league.
He got zilch. What he got chasing money for Ghana football and maybe for himself, is his image and integrity currently being torn into shreds and now fighting for his future in football administration.
Wednesday June 6, would give us more, but most of these could be screened to the world.
Source: mufnabila.wordpress.com