My hands are clean — K.K. Sarpong

Former Asante Kotoko executive chairman, Dr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, has stated unequivocally that his hands are clean in the transfer of the club’s players to foreign clubs.

"There has not been a single occasion that my management under-declared monies realised from the transfer fee of any Kotoko player’’, says Dr Sarpong.

He has, therefore, charged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, for peddling falsehood to tarnish his hard won reputation and that of his management by implying underhand dealings by his administration in the transfer of striker Ben Acheampong to Petro Athletico of Angola.

Dr Sarpong, who had been quiet since Nyantakyi made the allegations against him, broke his silence when he spoke briefly to the Graphic Sports last Saturday.

He questioned why Mr Nyantakyi failed to go to court when he challenged him to test the law if he insisted the Kotoko management under-declared the transfer money on Ben Acheampong.

“I would not talk much. My children and, indeed, my entire family, are hurt by the false allegations against me and I know the truth would come out one day,” Dr Sarpong said.

Last Tuesday, Mr Nyantakyi, speaking on Fox FM from the United States of America, made some damaging allegations against Dr Sarpong and his executives over the transfer of Ben Acheampong, who until his move to Kotoko was a player of his (Nyantakyi’s) club, Wa All Stars.

The GFA capo stated that the Kotoko management under-declared the amount reaped from the transfer of the striker, insisting that there were question marks over the $100,000 co-operation agreement fee in respect of the deal.

However, the Graphic Sports had the opportunity to go through official documents relating to the transfer of some players, including the disputed Ben Acheampong case, which pointed to the former management operating on a clean sheet.

Under the agreement dated November 29, 2011, the player was transferred for $150,000, inclusive of a co-operation agreement fee of $100,000.

The transfer fee was apportioned as follows: GFA commission, $12,750; Agency, $22,550; Former Club (Wa All Stars), $45,900; and Kotoko, $68,850.

The co-operation agreement fee of $100,000, which Mr Nyantakyi questioned and insinuated might have gone into wrong pockets, was paid into the Kotoko Dollar Account Number 1051019872891 at the Fidelity Bank, Ahodwo Branch, Kumasi.

Clause 2 of the transfer agreement between Kotoko and Petro Athletico dealt with the co-operation agreement.

It said, in part, that Athletico agreed to pay $100,000 to support the construction of the Kotoko Youth Academy building at Adako Jachie.

Again, the agreement said “Kotoko will offer Athletico a priority option on its youth players when the latter expresses interest during the subsistence of the agreement where the latter (Athetico) meets the financial demands of Kotoko in the negotiations.”

Besides, the co-operation agreement insists that Kotoko shall ensure the unveiling of ‘’a plaque acknowledging the contribution of Athletico to the construction of the building on completion. “

Further, the agreement stated that all payments made by Athletico to Kotoko shall be made by bank transfer into the Fidelity Bank account at Ahodwo.

Against this background, the Commercial Manager of Kotoko in the K.K. Sarpong administration, Mr Listowell Yesu Burkarson, who also spoke to the Graphic Sports said it was mischievous for anyone to say that the money did not go to Kotoko.

Expatiating on the transfers, Bukarson said from the arrangement, it was highly impossible for anyone or group of people apart from Kotoko as a club to benefit from the $100,000 co-operation fee on Acheampong and all other players.

“Dr Sarpong had been honest to Kotoko and Mr Nyantakyi has no basis trying to dent his reputation,” Bukarson stressed.

A similar deal, he said, was struck in respect of the transfer of Yaw Frimpong and Daniel Nii Adjei to TP Mazembe Englebert of the DR Congo, where a total of $100,000 was lodged into the same account at Fidelity Bank.

Bukarson showed the Graphic Sports details of the agreement and said as a visionary management, they were only thinking of seizing the least opportunity to make money for Kotoko.

The transfer agreement of the two players to TP Mazembe dated October 17, 2012, indicated each of them was transferred for $ 150,000 and again Kotoko used its academy building as a point of bargaining for the co-operation agreement fee.

On November 1, 2012, Mazembe Englebert transferred the $300,000 from the Citi Bank, New York, to the Kotoko Dollar Account at Fidelity Bank.

Earlier on October 31, 2012, Mazembe had lodged the co-operation agreement fee of $100,000 into the same account.

“So if all the monies went to Kotoko what was the justification for Mr Nyantakyi’s allegations?” Bukarson questioned.

He, therefore, dismissed the GFA boss’s assertion that clubs that play in the same competition cannot enter into co-operation agreement.

According to Bukarson, such agreements abounded in Africa and other parts of the world and that Kotoko was not the first to benefit.

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu