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08.07.2004 Football News

Match Official Confirms Bribery Case

08.07.2004 LISTEN
By Graphic

The match commissioner in the ¢400,000 bribery scandal in connection with a second division football match between Suntaa FC and Tumu Royal Ambassadors at Lawra in the Upper West Region, Mr Stephen Kpen, has confirmed taking the money.

He, however, said he reported the case to the vice chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Mr Kwasi Nyantakyi, and the Upper West Regional Sports Development Officer, Mr Thomas Sanyeh.

Mr Kpen was given the amount by the chairman of Numbo United FC, Mr Issa Bomison, to influence him to write a report that the match between Suntaa FC and Royal Ambassadors was fixed.

Mr Kpen who walked to the offices of the Graphic at Wa to narrate his side of the story said he was in the house in the early hours of June 7, 2004, when one Mumuni Abdulai, alias “Believer Sopkari”, woke him up around 1.45a.m.

He said Mr Abdulai indicated that Mr Bomison wanted to see him in connection with the match.

He said all that while he did not know that referee Mustapha was in Mr Bomison's car.

Mr Kpen said during the discussion it came to light that they wanted him to write a report to the effect that the match was a fixed one.

“But I told them I had finished writing the report and would not want to change anything to warrant any sanction from the GFA if it turned out not to be a true reflection of the match”, he added.

He said following Mr Bomison insistence, “I asked him what would be the guarantee that my report would not conflict with that of the referee, and he readily said the referee was in his car.”

Mr Kpen said when the referee came, he (referee) cited incidents before, during and after the match he intended to use to prove that the match was a pre-determined one between the two teams.

“I therefore asked for a written report from the referee to convince me, which he did, photocopied, and sent to me through Mr Abdulai, by which time I had already dispatched my report to Wa to the RFA”, he emphasised.

He said he had been advised by Mr Nyantakyi and some personalities to keep the money and tender it in evidence when called upon to do so at the appropriate time.

He said since then neither the GFA nor the RFA had called him on the case

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