Do not politicize Government's White Paper on Stadium disaster

Kumasi, April 9, GNA - Football fans have been urged not to politicize the Government's White Paper on the Baba Yara Stadium disaster where four lives were lost during the Kumasi Asante Kotoko's Glo Premier League encounter against Accra Hearts of Oak on February 8. "Government arrived at the conclusions in the White Paper based on the evidence and recommendations before the Committee".

Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Minister of Youth and Sports, who made the call at a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, said the James Marshall Belieb Committee which was tasked to look into the issue discharged its duties dispassionately and that all those seen to have contributed to the disaster in one way or the other, were duly invited and given the chance to clear their names.

The press conference was in reaction to agitations and concerns raised by some football fans to the effect that the sanctions against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kotoko, Mr Sylvester Asare-Owusu, were too harsh.

The White Paper recommended that the CEO of Kotoko should be banned from all football related activities in the country for five years. In addition the CEO is to be charged and prosecuted for stealing, while an amount of 820 Ghana Cedis was to be retrieved from him and paid into government's chest.

Alhaji Muntaka said it was therefore rather unfortunate for some supporters to read politics into the Committee's investigations and recommendation "as their work was devoid of government's interference". The Minister stressed that the White Paper was to set the records straight as per the recommendations by the Committee, and that it was out of place for any group of Kotoko supporters to threaten to demonstrate against government's decision to implement the recommendations that involves breach of the law.