AG Fires Critics Over Allegations of Shielding Former GFA Boss

The Attorney General’s department is insisting that there is not enough evidence to prosecute the former Ghana Football Association boss, Mr. Kwesi Nyantekyi.

This comes after some sections of the general public had criticised government’s handling of the matter after FIFA handed a life ban to Mr. Nyantakyi for his conduct in the Anas Number Nine expose.

Many, including the opposition National Democratic Congress had accused government of shielding the former GFA boss because the president’s name was mentioned in the video. But Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Kpenka Dindiok said the criticisms are born out of ignorance.

“What happened at FIFA was a simple inquisition into whatever Mr. Nyantakyi may have done and so they found at the end of it that, a conflict of interest was established and then unethical behaviour…they found all those things contrary to the rules of FIFA and that was why they exacted that punish. That was not a criminal trial,” he told Accra based GH One TV.

Mr. Dindiok continued: “At the time he was alleged to have done all these things, you realise that he was acting in the private capacity so you cannot charge him with corruption of public officer.”
The deputy AG further argued that, the jurisdiction where the sacked GFA boss made his statements makes it difficult to slap criminal charges on him.

“Professionally, there is a consequence that a private citizen goes out of Ghana and is engaged in such conduct. He is a public official and there is a provision in our criminal code to take him on but in all cases he as acting as a private individual and most import thing under this circumstance could be jurisdiction which happened in Dubai,” he explained.

Meanwhile, government says the prosecution of Mr. Nyantakyi has not been left in the limbo as many posit it to be.

Responding to comments by the NDC that government had not been expedite with investigations on the conduct of the former GFA boss, the deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide said, criminal investigations have been concluded by the Police CID and would soon be presented to the AG’s office for advice.