You Could Not Outsmart Mallam Issa - Counsel

Mr. Worlanyo Cudjoe Agrah, the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association yesterday refuted allegation in the ongoing trial of Mallam Yussif Issa that there was a bad blood between him and ex-minister of Youth and Sports and that Mallam was nick-named Maradona, because it was difficult to out-smart him.

However, Counsel for Mallam Issa Mr. Ambrose Derrey in his cross -examination of the prosecution witness Mr.Agrah said that Mallam Issah was named Maradona by officials of the Ministry because they found him very difficult to beat, because he was always questioning and demanding answers from officials at the ministry. When counsel also questioned Agrah whether he was on good terms with the ex-minister, Mr.

Agrah told the court that though he had good working relations with his former boss, he was not his intimate friend. Mr. Derry further suggested to the prosecution witness that officials at the ministry were hostile to Mallam Yusif Issah because he demanded to know everything going in the office and was noted for cutting expenditure, but Agrah responded in the negative . Agrah however agreed with the defence counsel that it was not proper for the acting GFA Chairman, Mr.

Owusu Ansah, to have carried $20.000 to Sudan, but explained that the amount was taken to Sudan as a contingency measure 'for foreseeable and unforeseeable circumstances.' When counsel asked Mr. Agrah why they prepared a budget for a seven-day trip to Sudan when in fact they were going to spend only four days, and that Mallam had to intervene and slash the seven days to four days, Mr.

Agrah responded that CAF regulations state that officials are supposed to stay away for seven days, hence the budget of seven days instead of four. However, counsel reminded him that it was the government of Ghana, which pays the money, not the CAF.

When counsel further disclosed that during the trip to The Sudan officials at the ministry of Youth and Sports brought an estimated budget of $200.000 but Mallam rejected the proposal and asked them to make another draft proposal because the amount was huge, Mr. Agrah told the court that he had submitted so many proposals to the Minister, so he could not recollect immediately the exact amount estimated .

At this juncture counsel suggested to the prosecution witness that because of his client's firmness and anti-corruption stance he became the one person people targeted to be eliminated from the ministry. However, Agrah denied the allegation and said that relations between them and the minister were cordial.

Counsel further disclosed that Mallam had insisted that the Black Stars should lodge at the Swedru Hotel because it was cheaper and had the required facilities than the Wangara hotel, which was more costly for the state. Led in his evidence-in chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Osafo Sampong, Agrah said that he was invited by the ex-Minister to his office where he met a gentleman and a lady at the office . He told the court that Mallam demanded to know from him whether he could put the money in a suitcase, and Agrah said he advised him to rather put it in his pilot suit case.