Veteran Sports Journalist, Kwabena Yeboah, has said Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ exposé on rot in Ghana football appears to have had no impact as corruption still thrives in the industry.
“There are people who think Anas has come to spoil our sport but even after the Number 12 expose’ some of these things are still going on. It means his work has been in vain,” Kwabena Yeboah told host Nana Aba Anamoah on Starr Chat Wednesday.
He claimed he wasn’t shocked about the revelations made in the work by Anas.
“We knew our game was corrupt and rotten. We knew that some of the referees were pure criminals and holding teams to ransom,” Kwabena Yeboah bemoaned.
Meanwhile, the High Court in Accra has adjourned the case in which former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Lawyer Kwasi Nyantakyi standing trial for an alleged fraud to October 29 for Case Management Conference (CMC).
Lawyer Nyantakyi has been charged with fraud and corruption over his involvement in the Anas Aremeyaw Anas #Number 12 Exposé.
Nyantakyi who is also facing the charge of Conspiracy to commit fraud with the former Northern Regional Representative of the GFA, Abdulai Alhassan, pleaded not guilty.
In court on Friday, July 23, when the case was called for CMC, Lawyer Charles Puozing, counsel for the second accused person said he was only served with disclosure documents this morning.
To this end, the court presided over by Justice El-Freda Dankyi has adjourned the case to October to allow counsel ample time to peruse the documents.
Earlier, counsel for Nyantakyi Baffour Gyau Bonsu Ashia holding Thaddeus Sory’s brief told the Court he has been served.
The two football administrators have been admitted to bail in the sum of GHc 1 million each with three sureties, to be justified. They are also to report to the case investigator until the final determination of the case.
Background
The embattled former GFA President, Nyantakyi, came under heavy criticism after the content of Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigative piece entitled ‘Number12’ was aired in Ghana on June 6, 2018.
The video captured Nyantakyi taking $65,000 (£48,000) from an undercover reporter pretending to be a businessman.
The video among other things also captured top officials of the football association including its President, Nyantakyi allegedly taking bribes to influence the invitation of players to the national team, to influence the duration of playing time offered to some players, and to influence the selection of unfit players and referees to participate in games.
The Number 12 documentary also captured more than 100 referees allegedly taking bribes to manipulate the outcome of games in a team’s favour.
Following the first screening of the video which attracted more than 3,000 persons, many called for a complete dissolution of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and immediate resignation of its embattled president, Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Nyantakyi, who was also the first Vice President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) eventually resigned from all football-related positions few days after the video was aired.
Fifa subsequently suspended Kwesi Nyantakyi and later banned him for life.
