Appearance fees paid to Black Stars management is not a crime – GFA

Ghana FA spokesman Ibrahim Sannie Daara has defended revelations that management members of the Black Stars received appearance fees at the 2014 World Cup – insisting it is not a crime.

Chief Director of the Sports Minister Abudulai Yakubu revealed during his turn with the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that the seven-member Black Stars management committee received $82,000 as appearance fees.

This revelation has sent shockwaves amongst several Ghanaians who hitherto knew that members were given honorarium – a combined bonus of two or three players shared amongst management members and other officials.

But GFA spokesman Ibrahim Sannie Daara insists no wrong was done by officials who received the monies that had been duly approval and that some are using the information to primarily taint the image of the association.

“It is not a crime for management to take monies that have been approved by the government,” he told Radio Gold.

“It is not as if someone has been given money that has not been budgeted for.

“It appears that people want to do the GFA in and it is time for us to speak up.

“In any case, this is not a recent practice. It was agreed years ago that people who work constantly for the team also benefit from its gains.

“It was done in 2006, was done in 2010 and it was done in 2014. This is not illegal.”

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set up to look into issues that saw the Black Stars make a first round exit from the 2014 World Cup.

It is also to probe the preparations and systems put in place by responsible authorities towards the finals staged in Brazil.