War at ‘Asafo’ …Over corrupt practice of Central Region FA chairman

By Citizen News Desk

Information reaching The Citizen points to a looming war again at Asafo, a farming community near Swedru in the Central Region, between the chairman of the Central Regional branch of the FA, Mr. M.N.S. Doe and some football administrators.

Sources reveal that the situation has been fuelled by the constant struggle by officials of Asofa United, a second division football club for Mr. Doe to refund their affiliation and officiating fees of GH¢1,150 (¢11.5 million old Ghana cedis) he has taken from the club over the years.

The officials and supporters of the club, this paper gathers, have currently sworn to take the life of Mr. Doe by crook or hook, if he fails to fund the said money before Friday, April 20, 2012.

But the Central regional Football Association chairman Mr. Doe, when contacted, denied the allegation by the Mr. Kwasi Donkor Tuafo, the Vice-President of Asafo United, a second division club in the region, that he has taken an amount of GH¢1,150 from the club.

“It is not true… I have not taken any money from Mr. Kwasi Donkor Tuafo and his club, and I don’t know why he (Mr. Donkor Tuafo) keeps on telling lies about me,” Mr. Doe was reacting on phone to the story hovering around the country about his alleged corrupt practice. According to him, the monies that were paid by Asafo United were fines incurred by the club and part-payment of organization fees which were all legal. The organization fees, Mr. Doe explained, are legal fees which when paid by a club are non-refundable. Mr. Doe therefore dared Mr. Donkor Tuafo to take the Central Region FA to court. Mr. Tuafo should take the matter to court and we are prepared to meet him in court and he should stop fabricating all these lies about the Central region FA,” Mr. Doe challenged the vice-president of Asafo United F/C. But evidence has exposed Mr. Doe.

Receipts made available to The Citizen Newspaper point to the fact that the Asafo United F/C had apparently paid GH¢1,150 (¢11.5 million old Ghana cedis) as affiliation and officiating fees to Mr. Doe.

Mr. George Papamikidis, the President of the club gave vivid accounts on how the money was paid to Mr. Doe in an interview with The Citizen, and threatened to take Mr. Doe on if urgent steps were not taken to resolve the matter. “We have for the past six months battled this case but Mr. Doe fails to comply with our suggestion,” he added.

He reiterated that prior to the start of the 2009/10 League Season in the region, Asafo United F/C, which is affiliated to the C/R FA, duly registered, paid the full affiliation and organization fees of GH¢450 and officiating fees of GH¢350, leaving GH¢250 outstanding; this was because the officiating fee was set at GH¢600 for the entire season. He recounted that the league ended abruptly after Asafo United F/C played only seven (7) games; “…and after this unfortunate occurrence, management of Asafo United F/C demanded a part refund of the officiating fees they had paid for the season, as they had not played the required number of matches agreed upon and set at the Regional Football Association (RFA) congress prior to the start of the season.”

“After we demanded some refund or explanation, Mr. Doe and the RFA came up with a debt bill of GH¢950 for Asafo United F/C, accumulated from fines from yellow cards and red cards shown to players of the club during the 2008/9 football season,” Mr. Papamikidis stated.

He however disclosed that about 3 months before the start of the 2010/11 Season, Asafo United F/C made a GH¢300 part-payment of GH¢400 being affiliation and organization fees for old clubs.

Again, he noted that “as the start of the season drew closer, Mr. Doe insisted that the club pay GH¢950, being fines for yellow and red card before the RFA will accept further payments for the organization and affiliation fees.” The club apparently failed to pay the said amount and the RFA boss subsequently forced Asafo United F/C out of the Central Region 2nd Division League.

Source: The Citizen Newspaper (thecitizen.news@yahoo.com) +233 27 731 4655