The ruling government has been commended for paying some amount of money owed retired boxing legend, David Kotei, popularly known as D.K Poison.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that the US$45,000 Ghana owes D.K. Poison be paid to him on "compassionate grounds."

A letter signed by the Secretary of the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo read: "I write to convey the approval of the President of the Republic for an amount of Forty-Five Thousand United States Dollars (US$45,000.00) to be paid to Mr David Kotei (a.k.a. D.K. Poison) on compassionate grounds."

Money paid with interest

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr says even though it is laudable for the money to be paid, it should not have been done on compassionate grounds. In addition, he feels, it should have been paid with interest.

"$45,000 from the 1970s; how can he be given the same amount...“On compassionate ground? You owe someone and you are going to settle and you claim it’s on compassionate ground.”how can it be on compassionate grounds when the money was really borrowed from him?" he queried while contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.

According to him, "there is a trail of evidence that the money was lent to the state...even though it's better than nothing, the value (of the money) is no longer the same . . . well, we will accept it like that."

The host of the show, Kwami Sefa Kayi chipped in that the said contract between D.K Poison and the then Gen Kutu Acheampong government was just "word of mouth" and not on paper; an act which is not legitimate by law.

“From my interactions with Nathaniel Attoh who recently interviewed DK Poison, no contract exists so it’s really by word of mouth. He has nothing to show that the government indeed borrowed money from him but its people at that time who spoke for him....Truth to be told, if you go into law, it’s not a legitimate transaction. No paper exists to prove that government took the money from him. Agreement made with government by word of mouth does not hold water in law. How do you justify the payment of $45,000 plus interest on a loan that that was done in 2020 with no paperwork?” he pointed out.

But Kwesi Pratt disagreed insisting that word of mouth agreement is as valid as any other documentation.

"There is historical evidence that the money was given to the state...There are people who vouch that he indeed gave money to the government then. There is no doubt about the fact that government took money from him. It is not by word of mouth," he said.

Background

The 69-year-old D.K. Poison over the years has been narrating how in 1976, he loaned to the government of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong an amount of $45,000 out of his purse of $75,000 from his second title defence against Japanese Shig Fukuyama for the purchase of some commodities for the state.

According to D.K. Poison 44 years on, all attempts to reclaim the money from the state have proved futile despite promises by past governments to ensure he was reimbursed with the amount owed him.

In October last year, he met President Akufo-Addo and expressed his gratitude to the President for granting him audience.

An emotional D.K. Poison during his interaction with President Akufo-Addo reiterated his case and in response, President Akufo-Addo promised to resolve the claim by the onetime World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight champion dating over four decades.