Court discharges Kwesi Nyantakyi after five-year legal battle

• Posted on February 14, 2025February 14, 2025
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

An Accra High Court has discharged former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi and his co-accused after a protracted five-year trial that saw the prosecution fail to present a single witness.

The ruling, delivered by Her Ladyship Justice Marie-Louise Simmonds, followed the prosecution’s inability to secure testimony from any of its five listed witnesses.

The case, which stemmed from the 2018 investigative exposé by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, initially led to Nyantakyi’s resignation and subsequent bans.

Despite years of court hearings, the prosecution never called a witness to testify against Nyantakyi. The situation worsened when the final witness Anas refused to testify unless permitted to wear a mask, a request deemed unusual by the court.

With no evidence presented, Justice Simmonds ruled that there was no legal basis to continue the trial, effectively discharging Nyantakyi and his co-accused.

A key factor in the discharge was the Court of Appeal’s ruling on January 30, 2025, which reinforced the principle that an accused person is entitled to a fair trial within a reasonable timeframe. The ruling is believed to have influenced the High Court’s decision, as five years of legal delays had passed without progress.

Nyantakyi was at the centre of the 2018 “Number 12” exposé by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, which alleged corruption in Ghanaian football. The fallout led to:

• His resignation as GFA President.
• His removal from the FIFA Executive Council and as CAF Vice President.
• A lifetime ban from football by FIFA, which was later reduced to 15 years following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

With the criminal charges now dropped, questions remain about Nyantakyi’s future, particularly in football administration. However, his 15-year ban from FIFA remains in place, restricting his involvement in the sport until further legal action is taken.

The ruling marks the end of a high-profile case that once shook Ghanaian football, but debate over its impact and unresolved issues is likely to continue.