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Nana Brew Butler & Ade Coker Lied

Mon, 12 Jun 2000 Source: The Dispatch (Accra)

Accra - The full Government White Paper on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the international transfer of players and related matters has come shocking revelations. One concerns four people associated with football administration in Ghana.

Nana Brew Butler, Executive Chairman of Cape Coast Dwarfs and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Ghana Football Association (GFA); Mr. Ade Coker Executive Chairman of the GFA; Mr. George Aduse- Poku, former Chairman of Asante Kotoko and Swedru All Blacks and Mr. Jones Abu Alhassan, an executive member of Real Tamale United and an international football agent. The thing they have in common is that ALL The FOUR ARE LIARS. They committed the offences of Perjury and Deceit of Public Officers.

Readers will recall that in response to public outcry against the unprofessional and exploitative manner in which the transfers of Ghanaian football players to overseas clubs were being conducted, President Jerry Rawlings appointed a Commission, chaired by an Appeal Court Judge, Mr. Justice Sule Gbadegbe, to inquire into such transfers, with a view to cleaning up the player transfer market.

While Mr. Aduse-Poku was the Chairman of Asante Kotoko, the club secured a foreign contract for one of the players, Robert Boateng. Mr. Aduse-Poku, by means of a false contract document, represented to the GFA that the transfer sum was $250,000, instead of $600,000. Mr. Kwabena Agyepong received $26,000 as 'thank you' for his part in the transfer while Mr. Wilgodt Anderson, after benefiting from the contract, is still holding on to $109,000 which should have gone to the player as part of his enticement fee. The Report adds: "By giving false testimony that he went to London on a mandate from the GFA, Nana Brew- Butler has committed the offences of Perjury and Deceit of Public Officer."

The case of Messrs Aduse-Poku and Jones Alhassan in the transfer of Adamu Baba Armado leaves sour tastes in one's mouth. Armado was transferred from Swedru All Blacks, at the time Mr. Aduse-Poku was Chairman, to a club in Dubai. He and Mr. Alhassan received a cheque for the contract sum of $300,000 but instead of cashing it in Ghana, they decided to conceal the actual amount from the other officials of All Blacks. The two went to Dubai, where they surrendered the cheque to the management of the Dubai club in exchange for $250,000 cash. The Report states: "The Commission found that the testimony they offered was untrue, in which they had individually committed the offences of Perjury and Deceit of Public Officer."

In the case of Mr. Ade Coker, the Commission found that he told falsehood by concealing from the Commission, actual contract sums in certain transfers conducted by them. For example, Olympics declared the contract sum involving the transfer of Richard Kingston as $90,000, instead of $150,000.

Nana Brew Butler was found wanting again when Dwarfs gave lower figures to the GFA in respect of the compensation packages involved in the transfer of John Richard Ackon and Michael Coffie. Dwarfs concealed a total of $415,000 from the GFA.

The Commission also noted with concern that a number of clubs are in arrears with the payment of development levy to the GFA and Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA). The government accepted the recommendation that the overdue payment of certain clubs should be settled. They include Accra Hearts of Oak - $14,016; Obuasi Goldfields - $5,100; King Faisal - $20,000; GHAPOHA - $37,000; Asante Kotoko - $12,500; Dwarfs - $53,500; Liberty Professionals - $10,000 and Real Tamale United - $30,000. The clubs will in addition, pay a penalty of 10%.

Given its importance, The Dispatch starts serialising the 32-page full White Paper on page 5.

Source: The Dispatch (Accra)