GFA pleads for more time to respond to gov’t in court

• Posted on July 9, 2018
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

The Ghana Football Association (GFA), has asked for more time to respond to an injunction application filed by the government against them in court.

According to the lawyer for the GFA, Abu Juan, their clients were served with the suit late on Friday and were therefore unable to work on their response on time.

They also asked the court to adjourn the case to Thursday 12th July 2018.

The Attorney General represented by her deputy Godfred Dame did not oppose the request by the GFA.

This new application follows the expiration of the 10-day injunction secured by the government in the High Court on June 12, 2018.

The government, as part of moves to restructure the GFA as a result of revelations of corruption through Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ investigative piece, commenced some processes including a petition for the dissolution of the GFA.

But the GFA has challenged the Attorney General’s petition at the High Court seeking for the dissolution.

In an 83-page response to the petition by the AG, the GFA, through their lawyers, among others challenged the capacity of government to dissolve it.

The GFA’s lawyers argued that the Association, as a company limited by guarantee, was not formed in the interest of the public, but purely in the interest of its members and therefore the AG’s petition based on the “public interest” cannot stand.

The GFA lawyers also argue that the AG’s petition was in response to the video of the then president of the association, Kwesi Nyantakyi, where he allegedly took bribes.

Respondent in answering paragraph 7 of the petition that the public’s involvement which may be loosely described as “interest” in the activities carried out by Respondent’s members (football clubs) in their associative relationship with one another in the form of a company limited by guarantee, is narrowly limited to the emotional attachment and the joy that the football activities carried on by Respondent’s members bring to them, but such members of the public have no legal or equitable interest in any of Respondent’s members or Respondent itself for that matter.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, who has since resigned as President of the GFA was also caught on tape plotting to fleece the FA of sponsorship money while promising supposed investors access to President Akufo Addo for a fee.

Many other Ghanaian FA officials and referees were also caught in alleged match-fixing deals.

Scope of injunction

The order of the court bars the GFA and its officials from carrying out all official duties at least for ten days.

This includes the organization of football matches, the selling of the association’s asset

s, the appointment, and election of officials and other official duties.

In her argument before the court, the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, contended that GFA was being used for illegal purposes.

The injunction, according to the AG, was, therefore, necessary to protect the public.

Source: Citinewsroom.com