Cash airlift to Brazil was meant to be a covert operation – Afriyie Ankrah

Former Minister of Youth & Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has revealed that the airlifting of US$3million to Brazil to pay for match bonuses was a clandestine move which had the National Security spearheading it.

But the covert operation, he noted, soon became public when one of his colleagues blew the whistle, informing interest groups that money was being airlifted to Brazil.

“First of all, this was meant to be a covert operation – undercover. I was working with the National Security. You can’t carry money from Bank of Ghana and put it on a plane … It was one of my colleagues who came on air and blew the cover that the money is on the tarmac”, he noted.

Interacting with Bola Ray on Starr Chat on Starr 103.5 FM, Wednesday, Akrah now a Minister of State at the Presidency, said he regrets the move ended up in a very embarrassing way even though the intent was a good one.

“I regret because the money could have come quietly and this matter would have been sorted”.

Ghana in June 2014 was caught in a very embarrassing way after news broke out the West African nation had airlifted US$3million to Brazil to pay for match bonuses of the Black Stars.

The players had threatened not to train and also play the match against Portugal if their bonuses were for the previous matches against USA and Germany were not paid.

Ankrah commenting further on the incident said the country was faced with a very herculean task after the players refused to train and threatened to boycott the last game and the only option available to Sports Ministry was to airlift the money to pay them.