The Member of Parliament for the Akuapem South constituency Osei Bonsu Amoah has revealed that he was approached to bribe his way to have his defunct football club promoted to a higher division.
Mr Amoah says in 2008 he was compelled to dissolve his Nsawam based football team; Akuapem South FC, because he refused to bow to the rotten system.
“I was running a football team with the late Kwadwo Quashie and after we spent so much money on the team and we were in the second division, I had information that I should come and pay money if we must qualify for the next division,” he revealed.
“[In response], I just disbanded the whole team,” he stated.
The former Deputy Sports Minister stated that he approached the then President of the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi to register his complaints.
“If Kwesi Nyantakyi will bear me out, I complained bitterly to him that ‘watch the way you [Nyantakyi] are managing the game, these are just rumours going around and someone has even had the effrontery to approach me to pay money…’” OB Amoah said.
His revelation comes on the backdrop of recent corruption allegations that have rocked the foundation of football in the country, to the extent of government taking steps to dissolve the GFA and embattled President Nyantakyi attracting FIFA ban and also resigning.
About 100 referees, GFA officials, and National Sports Authority officials have been implicated in the recent exposé by undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The officials are seen on tape receiving various gifts including cash, and food items in order to either skew matches in favour of one team or to manipulate selection processes into the Senior National team.
Mr Nyantakyi himself was captured unilaterally negotiating a sponsorship deal for the premier league and allegedly receiving some $65,000 to create access to the presidency.
By: Joseph Nii Ankrah
I disbanded a whole team because of I refused to pay bribe – OB Amoah
