Gyan Extortion Tape Plays In Court

Osafo Anthony

The much talked about audio recording capturing four persons discussing and planning to extort money from Asamoah Gyan, the captain of the Ghana national football team, has finally landed in court.

The four-part recording tendered through Samuel Anim Addo, Manager of the international footballer, by the prosecution captures Sarah Kwablah, 21, a supposed fiancée of Gyan, and three others scheming to take money from the complainant.

In one of the audio recordings, the court heard how Osafo Anthony, a 29-year-old journalist, said he would urge Sarah to think about compensation in the event of such an offer.

The journalist, who per the voice offered to assist Sarah, said some Chinese guys who wanted to sign on Asamoah Gyan were furious and wanted to come to Ghana to investigate the matter, adding that “if you (Sarah) get more information, get it to Ekow…so that we can fire them for their mind to come home.”

Popular reggae musician Lester Ekow Micah, 43, in another conversation with Anthony, said he had some information for the journalist which could not be discussed on phone.

Again, Osafo in an interaction with Chris Handler, a Blogger and an accomplice in the case, while hurling insults At Anim Addo, said Asamoah Gyan had sent money to be given to them and accused Anim Addo of using craftiness to dodge the payment.

Cross-Examination  
While cross-examining Anim Addo, the lawyer for the accused persons, Lamti Apanga, raised questions about the source of the recording and insisted that the complainant had played a wrong voice in the court.

The lawyer argued that the manager of the international footballer had not tendered the voice he (Addo) submitted to the court as evidence.

However, Anim Addo disagreed, indicating that the audio recording was given to him by the police on request after they had found it on the laptop of Osafo.

He said prior to receiving the recording, the accused person had rejected a request for an amicable settlement, stressing that there was no voice recording to indict them.

Anim Addo was emphatic that he did not agree to settle any issue with the accused persons but only “feigned interest” in order to have them arrested.

The trial judge, Mrs Afia Agbanu Kumador, adjourned sitting until February 15, 2016.

Charges
Sarah and the two others have been variously charged for conspiring to extort money from Anim Addo, while Ekow Micah has been slapped with the charge of abetment.

The four persons are being tried for allegedly extorting GH¢25,000 from Addo by means of threat.

According to Addo, Sarah was the first to threaten and Osafo followed suit but demanded GH¢30,000 and threatened to publish more stories of Asamoah Gyan if the money was not paid.

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By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson