Govt stops GFA liquidation

The government has taken the practical step of discontinuing with the liquidation of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) by filing a motion to withdraw the liquidation petition from the Accra High Court.

The move by the government is in fulfilment of an agreement that it signed with the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) on August 16, 2018.

Per the agreement signed at the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, the government and the football governing body decided to establish a normalisation committee that would replace the GFA’s Executive Committee.

In view of the agreement, the motion signed by a Deputy Attorney-General (A-G), Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, averred that there would be no need for the liquidation.

“A continuation of the petition is unnecessary and the Attorney-General hereby seeks leave to discontinue the petition filed on June 11, 2018 with liberty,’’ it said.

The A-G is expected to move the motion for discontinuing the liquidation process at the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court tomorrow.

Anas’s exposé

The current posture of the government adds to the twists and turns of the GFA saga which started after an exposé by the undercover journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, which showed some referees and top officials of the GFA allegedly collecting bribes to influence their work.

The exposé, which was shown in Accra, Kumasi and Sunyani, shook the foundations of Ghana’s football and led to the resignation of the GFA President, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi.

The video alleged that Mr Nyantakyi had collected money from some investors under the pretext of helping them to obtain government contracts.

Liquidate GFA

As a result of the exposé, the government marched to court to liquidate the GFA and rid the association of what it described as “illegal and corrupt practices’’.

On June 11, 2018, the Accra High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Samuel Asiedu, granted an interlocutory application filed by the A-G that barred the GFA and its officials from engaging in any form of football-related activities.

Based on another application filed by the A-G, the court, on July 12, 2018, extended the interlocutory injunction on the GFA and also appointed the Registrar-General to take over assets of the association until the final determination of the liquidation petition.

FIFA’s engagement

The government’s legal battle to liquidate the GFA, however, did not go down well with FIFA, which served notice to expel Ghana from international football by today (August 27, 2018) should the government continue with processes to liquidate the GFA.

The world football governing body had viewed the government’s action as undue interference in the administration of Ghana football and in contravention of FIFA statutes

Ghana, however, avoided the ban after a government delegation had met with FIFA at its headquarters to find a common ground of reforming the administration of football in the country.

The government and FIFA, among other things, decided to jointly form a normalisation committee that would assume the powers of the GFA Executive Committee.

The two sides also agreed to work together to “create proper disciplinary, governance and auditing mechanisms, as well as ensure that persons who are found culpable are punished in accordance with Ghanaian domestic laws and FIFA statutes”.

As a result of those measures, the government decided not to pursue the liquidation process at the Accra High Court.