CAS sets date for ruling on Palmer's case

Kurt Okraku's reign as the Ghana FA President is under threat after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has revealed that it will decide on his future next month, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

Ghana's leading soccer news outfit Ghanasoccernet.com can reveal that the Switzerland-based body told the GFA on Thursday that it has set 17 July as the date to rule on Wilfred Osei Palmer's case that he was illegally disqualified from the Ghana FA Presidential election that brought Okraku to power.

CAS says its panel has sat on the case titled: CAS 2019/A/6517 Wilfred Kweku Osei v Ghana Football Association and the ruling will be made public next month.

The case was brought by Palmer last year after the election that brought Okraku to power but the coronavirus outbreak looked to have stalled the ruling on the matter which prompted hopes among the legal advisers of the GFA leader that the case was dead in the water.

With things beginning to normalise, CAS will announce the decision whether to uphold Palmer's quest to annul the election and order for fresh polls to decide on a new President for the GFA.

"On behalf of the Deputy President of CAS Appeals Arbitration Division, please be advised that the time limit to communicate the Arbitral Award to the Parties, pursuant to Article R59 of the Code of Sports-related Arbitration, has been extended until 17 July, 2020," CAS' letter to the GFA on Thursday revealed.

The case has got potential of ordering for a fresh Ghana FA election just nine months after Kurt Okraku won the polls.

This means the world's sports court body is set to begin processes to put paid to the long-winding legal tussle that hangs around the Ghana FA presidency.

Palmer dragged the Ghana FA to CAS over his 'unfair' disqualification from the presidential race in October last year.

The situation has put the presidency of Kurt Okraku on the line with wide reaching implication if Palmer becomes successful.

There are two things likely to happen - CAS to throw out the case and allow the status quo to remain or order for a re-run of the election if it was deemed the plaintiff was unfairly disqualified from the race.

The ruling from CAS will put to rest months of intense anxiety involving all the principal actors.

Osei, popularly known as Palmer, paid 22,000 Swiss Francs to CAS early this year on behalf of the GFA for his disqualification from federation's presidential elections appeal case to be heard.

The GFA refused to pay 22,000 Euros so per the rules, Palmer decided to pay both so that the hearing can go ahead which means he has now paid 44, 000 Euros which is $48,000.

Some media outfits believed to have received leaks from the GFA that Palmer might not be able to pay the amount which would have ended the litigation that challenges the legitimacy current leader of the federation Okraku.

However, CAS confirmed days later that it has received the full payment to allow it to form a panel to hear the case against the GFA over the decision to stop Palmer from contesting the election.

The feuding parties - the Ghana Football Association and aspirant Wilfred Osei Kwaku have named their respective arbitrators setting the tone for the adjudication of the matter.

While the association has gone for Swiss lawyer Hendrik Willem Kesler supported by Naa Odorfoley populalry known as 'Naa Gucci', Osei Kwaku has hired highly-rated Australian John Didulica with backing from Thaddeus Sory.