Boakye accuses Ghana FA of graft

Abraham Boakye, popularly known as One Man Supporter, and his lawyers have accused the Ghana Football Association of fabrication of documents as they continue to haggle over the veracity of claims regarding the acquisition of the Ghana Premier League sponsorship.

Since February 2011, Boakye has been battling the FA, its president and Globacom at the Accra High Court over what he describes as an unfair treatment to him in the Glo Premier League sponsorship deal. One Man Supporter is in court because he feels cheated in the sponsorship deal which he claims to have brokered.

He alleges that the FA is being complicit in citing two undeserving entities, Afrisat and Midsea, and paying them agency fees which are due him. Hence, Boakye is seeking four reliefs from the Commercial Court to have the wrong righted.

Stand out accusation

On Wednesday, the trial came to life after having gone through the motions in various sittings as a direct accusation was made.

Boakye's legal counsel, led by Bright Akwettey cross examined Kofi Nsiah, former General Secretary of the football governing body. Lawyer Akwettey put it to Nsiah that portions of the minutes he (Kofi Nsiah) has provided for the meetings held to discuss the Glo deal have been fabricated.

Akwettey pointed out alleged inconsistencies in the structure of certain minutes taken during the meetings on the deal when juxtaposed with other minutes from the same Ghana FA. Akwettey also challenged Kofi Nsiah, who stayed in his position for more than ten years, of knowingly contriving to deceive the court.

Kofi Nsiah denied all the allegations.

Big names

The proceedings were held at the Commercial Court D and were presided by Justice Adjei Frimpong. Some headline-makers have been mentioned during the course of the trial, which also sat last Monday.

GFA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi, his former deputy Fred Pappoe, executive committee member Awuah Nyamekye, and former FA spokesperson Randy Abbey, were all confirmed by Kofi Nsiah as being present at the meetings held to discuss Glo sponsorship of the Ghana Premier League.

The four reliefs

Mr. Boakye's solicitors have served an order on the defendants to pay 15 per cent of the sum of $150 million being the sponsorship package obtained from the defendants as agreed between the plaintiff and his alliance partner on one hand and the first and second defendants on the other.

The second relief being sought is an order specifically directed to the third defendant (Globacom) not to pay any further money to the first and second defendants under the sponsorship until the final determination of the matter.

The third relief is a declaration that the purported involvement of both Afrisat and Midsea Company in securing the sponsorship for which they are receiving an agency fee is fraudulent, while a specific order on the third defendant to desist from doing anything with the second defendant or transacting any business with the third defendant or its agents in respect of the sponsorship pending the final determination of the matter completes the suit.

Afrisat is the television production company which was responsible for packaging the local league matches for Gateway Broadcast Services, the now-defunct cable satellite station.

One Man supporter, who is chairman of the Ghana National Supporters Union (GHANSU) and also a Glo Ambassador, is being represented by BCMS Consulting II.

Background

The Ghana Football Association announced a five-year sponsorship deal worth $15 million with the Nigerian telecommunications giant as title sponsor for the premier league in December 2008.

Abraham Boakye, aka One Man Supporter wants legal credit of introducing Glo and the GFA to the sponsorship. He believes no agency role was required to firm the deal, questioning also why the GFA should be paying a 10 percent agency fee to the aforementioned entities.

The political heat generated from the case caused GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi to hold a press conference on September 3, 2011 where he said that MidSea Company Limited had secured the Glo sponsorship deal for Ghana’s professional league.

But a Director of the construction company, Professor Marian Ewurama Addy later said her outfit had never received money from the Ghana Football Association for any service. Professor Addy has repeatedly explained that none of the directors of the company knows or has dealt with Renee Williams, the supposed agent who represented the FA and Mid Sea on one hand and the Globacom Ghana on the other.

The court adjourned the case to July 25.