BA United CEO in police grips for assaulting sports presenter

Former Dutch International, Riga Mustapha, is in the grips of the Sunyani Police for allegedly assaulting the General Manager and some staff of Sunyani-based Space FM.

Riga is also alledged to have threatened to beat a sports presenter as well as mobilize supporters of BA United to attack staff of the station.

The verbal assault and threats was reported to the Brong-Ahafo regional crime office by management of the station which eventually led to the arrest.

The 36-year-old former Bolton Wanderes midfielder is said to have stormed the premises of the radio station in the company of one Yaw Frimpong, a vice chairman of BA United to vent their displeasure with a report carried by the station.

According to reports, a Space FM presenter, Prince Osei, reportedly carried a story that suggested that a supporter of BA United had rushed onto the field with a stick to hit a referee after he had disallowed a goal by the club.

Moments after the reporter had filed that report, he was attacked and asked to leave commentary area of the Sunyani Coronation Park.

The following day, Riga furiously walked to Space FM and attempted to enter the studio of the station.

In a full rage, he banged doors, tables and threatened to mobilize supporters of his team to vandalise property of the station as well as beat up the staff.

This threat and assault led to the arrest of the former Celta Vigo star.

In May 2004, supporters of BA United led by then CEO of the club, the late George Arthur, carried out similar attack on Space FM resulting in damage of properties running into several millions of cedis.

On that occasion, the motivation for the attack was to retrieve player cards from then immediate past CEO of the club, Lord Osei Bonsu, a director of the radio station.