Deaf Men Hearing: Sports official arrested

... actual deaf and dumb team were left behind in Ghana
An official of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, James Armah, who under the pretext of sending some deaf and dumb persons to a football tournament in Australia, ended up sending men who hear and speak, has been picked up by the police.

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Frank Adu Poku told Asempa News that the suspect, who is in his late 50’s, connived with the able-bodied persons and took them to Australia, while members of the actual deaf and dumb football team were left behind in Ghana.

Subsequently, Deaf Football Australia, hosts and organizers of the tournament has threatened to drag the Association of Sports for the Disabled of Ghana (ASBOD) to the International Sports Confederation for the Disabled (ISCD) for sanctions.

The Australian authorities are unhappy that Ghana would send hearing players for an international game meant for the disabled and are calling for a refund of USD14,789.00 being monies spent in hosting the Ghanaian team, by August 14, 2009.

An ASBOD official also told Asempa FM that the 25 hearing persons who went to Australia were not players but people seeking travelling opportunities. It is believed that each of the 25 hearing persons parted with 4,000 dollars to get a place on the trip in July.

Meanwhile, DCOP Adu Poku has told Asempa News that the supposed ‘deaf and dumb’ persons who were taken to Australia by Mr. Armah are at large. He said Mr. Armah is therefore assisting the police CID to investigate the matter.