CID formally invites Anthony Karbo over Nyantakyi case

A Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, has been invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to assist with investigations into the fraud case involving the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi.

This was after the Police Administration had officially sought clearance from the leadership of Parliament to release Mr Karbo.

Although the Deputy Director General of the CID, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Francis Aboagye Nyarko, had earlier on Thursday told journalists that the deputy minister had not been invited by the CID, the Police Administration officially notified the leadership of Parliament Thursday afternoon for the release of Mr Karbo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lawra.

Mr Karbo will appear before the CID on Monday, May 28, 2018.

News broke early Thursday that the CID had invited Mr Karbo to assist the police in investigations in relation to the case against Mr Nyantakyi.

• CID to invite Anthony Karbo over Kwesi Nyantakyi investigations

Initial denial

When journalists who were having an interaction with the police at the Headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra enquired about the issue, the police denied putting out the information.

Mr Nyarko explained that the police had just commenced investigations into the complaint against Mr Nyantakyi, who was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on May 23, 2018 when he arrived in the country from an official visit to Morocco.

Bad publicity

Mr Nyantakyi was arrested following a complaint filed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over allegations that the GFA boss had used the names of the President and the Vice-President to extort money from some supposed investors.

Mr Nyantakyi, who was granted police enquiry bail after the police had visited his house last Wednesday, was seen at the CID Headquarters sporting a yellow and wine African print shirt and a pair of trousers to match.

He was accompanied by his lawyer, Mr Thaddeus Sory.

Although Mr Nyantakyi has enjoyed media publicity over the years, he described recent media publications “as bad publicity” when he interacted with journalists before going to the office of the Deputy Director General of the CID to report himself to the police as part of his bail terms.

He said he would have loved to be in the news while carrying a trophy, saying “that would have been better”, a statement which drew laughter from the police and the journalists present.

Appeal

After visiting Nyantakyi’s house as part of investigations last Wednesday, the police are said to have taken delivery of his mobile phones and laptops.

Mr Nyarko said investigations were a process and needed time and appealed to the media to give the police ample time to complete investigations.

When investigations were completed, he said, the police would update the media and the public on the case.