Assurance: The League Will Start As Scheduled - GFA Emergency Committee

The Ethics committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) on Wednesday ruled on the bribery allegation involving Techiman City and Wa Africa United during the 2014/15 GN Bank Division One League and the verdict read both teams are immediately demoted to division two.

 

 

Many football fans and journalist since the publication of the ruling have questioned whether the league will commence on the scheduled date of February 20. Upon the announcement of the league starting on the said date skeptics doubted it will believing past incidences as reasons why they have that feeling.

 

Techiman City have vouched to fight their demotion case even as far as with the court of arbitration for sports (CAS). The GFA announced after the ethics committee ruling that nothing has changed in relation to the 2015/16 premier league calendar.

But Eddie Doku, a member of the 5-man emergency committee of the GFA has quashed those claiming to know how many teams will be involved in the league and has asked football loving fans to remain calm as the committee finds a solution to the case and pave way for the commencement of the league.

 

He said, “we have got rules and regulations that govern everything football at the GFA and with the FA president a lawyer we are always guided to make the right decisions and not contradicting the law. ‘The adjudicating body have ruled on the bribery issue and per our rules we (the emergency committee) can’t rule against the decision and this means the rulings binds everyone in football.”

“We cannot, will not and are not in a position to move forward until a number days and per our rules the affected party has a number of days to react and after then the emergency committee can issue a statement on the number of clubs that will compete in the 2015/16 Ghana premier league season until then no one can mention the number of teams either 15/16 will play in the league,” he added.

Assurance: The League Will Start As Scheduled - GFA Emergency Committee

The Ethics Committee Evidence For Demoting Techiman City & Wa Africa Utd

The GFA Ethics Committee has found Techiman City FC and Wa African United guilty of bribery and match fixing after investigations into their Match day 22 game played at the Damongo Park.

 

 

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE

1. The viva voca evidence obtained from both the Team Manager and the Coach of WA Africa United FC suggest a couple of telephone communication between Nana Kwabena Gyamerah Yiakwan ll, CEO of WA Africa United FC and Charles Kwadwo Ntim, President of Techiman City FC prior to the match that was allegedly agreed to be fixed.

 

2. It was confirmed by the Team Manager and the Coach of WA Africa united FC that there was exchange of money between the agent of Techiman City FC, Yaw Adamu Acheampong and themselves. The money was intended to influence the match in favour of Techiman City FC.

 

3. Contrary to earlier views held that the agent of Techiman City FC was the Team Manager, documents available revealed that the said agent, Yaw Adamu Acheampong was actually an official of the Club but not in the capacity as the Team Manager. This is evidenced by his name appearing on Referees Official list that was electronically generated and the Team Sheet presented and signed by the Team Manager and Captain of Techiman City FC itself.

 

4. The statement by the complainants vis-à-vis the posture of the Respondent at all material times during the sittings, leaves the committee in no doubt that this was a match of convenience agreed on by the two parties.

 

5. That instead of giving evidence to defend itself and debunk the allegations of bribery and match fixing made by WA Africa United FC, Techiman City FC has since the commencement of the hearing de novo resorted to technicalities/legalities to derail the course of collecting evidence from them.

 

6. The Committee observed and came to the conclusion that the conduct of both the Spokesperson/Advisor to Techiman City FC and its President was not acceptable as they disrupted the hearing on a number of occasions yelling at the slightest opportunity at the complainants.

 

7. The Committee also considered the documents used by the Disciplinary Committee in its ruling in Techiman City’s protest after the said match. This included an electronically generated Referee’s report which had Yaw Adamu Acheampong included as an official of Techiman City FC. The Committee took notice of the fact that at the time the Disciplinary Committee used the referee’s report in its ruling, the Ethics Committee process had not begun and actually Wa African United had not presented its complaints at that time. A referee’s Match Report is supposed to reach the GFA within 48 hours after a match. It is an official document, hence the Ethics Committee relied on it in its findings.

 

Techiman City have refused to accept the Felix Anyinsan committee’s ruling contradicting Wa Africa United who have accepted their fate.

The Ethics Committee Evidence For Demoting Techiman City & Wa Africa Utd