Full story: Accra Great Olympics vrs GFA legal battle

The Ghana FA won another court case against Accra Great Olympics on Thursday, paving the way for the Ghana Premier League to start this weekend.

However, Olympics are still holding out that they have hope in the case that has confused many followers of the game.

Below are the full facts of the case

The GPL ended on *22nd October 2017*, that is match day 30. Olympics played it's last match with Bechem United at Bechem and lost by a lone goal. On *25th October 2017*, Olympics filed a protest against Bechem United for preventing Startimes from telecasting the match live.

Olympics demanded that they be declared winners with Bechem United as losers, be awarded 3 points , 3 goals and a further 3 points ducked from Bechem's accumulated points build up. Olympics lost that protest. It appealed, it lost the appeal.

On *25th October 2017*, Olympics filed a *petition against Bechem United* at the GFA.The Petition was on a protest form but the word protest had been cancelled and replaced by the word, Petition. Olympics stated that they were coming as gracious informants and alleged that in the *Bechem United vs Bolga All Stars game*, that is match day 8, Bechem United fielded a player *Joseph Amoah* who was unqualified as he had received cautions in *Match day 1, 6 & 7.* Note, Bolga All Stars never protested. *Match day 8 was played on 18th March 2017*

Olympics had addressed its petition to the Gen Secretary of the GFA. The Gen Sec in turn referred the matter to the Exco who referred it to the Legal Committee of the GFA.

In the course of the deliberations, Ref Lathbridge wrote to the FA correcting an error pertaining to *Joseph Amoah* via email dated *30th October 2017*in Match day 7 which was a match between Sharks n Bechem United.

Referee Lathbridge stated that in the said game, the players who received cautions were *Solomon Mensah of Bechem United*,Isaac Donkor, *Felix Addo* & Kingsley Agyei for *Elmina Sharks* respectively.

Ref Lathbridge's assertion proved to be true from the video evidence. The Legal Committee recommended that Olympics be advised to come by way of a protest as its approach was alien to the GFA statutes. Olympics however filed an addendum to its petition of 25th October 2017 dated *8th November 2018*

Olympics per their addendum stated that per Referee Lathbridge's email *Solomon Mensah of Bechem* was ineligible to have played in *Match Day 21(Bechem United vs Hearts) as he had earlier on been cautioned in Match day 1,7 & 20)*. Note - Accra Hearts of Oak never protested.

Olympics further per their addendum contended that if *Felix Addo of Elmina Sharks* indeed got a card on Match day 7 that's the anomaly rectified by Ref Lathbridge then it meant, as at the time Olympics played with Elmina Sharks in *Match day 28 played at Elmina on October 8th 2017*which Olympics won by a lone goal , Felix Addo was ineligible to play as he had received three accumulated yellow cards, *(match day 7, 24 and 27)*.

On *10th November 2017* the Disciplinary Committee of the GFA dismissed Olympics' petition. Olympics did not appeal the said decision because according to Olympics the disciplinary committee failed to notify them of their right to appeal.

On *22nd December 2017*, Olympics sought an extension of time within which to file a protest.

The request for extension of time was refused in a decision by the GFA disciplinary committee dated *16th January 2018*.

On *18th January 2018* Olympics filed a protest against *Elmina Sharks* alleging that Elmina Sharks had fielded an unqualified player in the person of *Felix Addo* so Elmina Sharks should be ducked a further 3 points from their accumulated points. That protest was dismissed by the DC on the grounds that Oly were out of time on *8th February 2018*.

Olympics contend that per the FA's Regulations the FA can suo moto deduct the points from Elmina Sharks once the fact has been brought to its knowledge.

Oly contend that all their matters were dismissed on technical grounds but this should not have been the case due to the peculiar circumstances of the case and that under the GFAs Regulations, the GFA's executive committee ought to have constituted a body to hear the matter on its merits.