Mr Richard Oblitei Solomon, Chairman of Accra Great Olympics has described claims by champion club Accra Hearts of Oak that they have paid up on Laryea Kingston as false, misleading and a breech of the agreement brokered between the two clubs by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Status Committee.
Speaking to the GNA Sports, Mr Solomon said the transfer of Kingston could not be divorced from that of Samuel Monnie, another player of Olympics who has been in Hearts' camp since last year because Hearts had negotiated the purchase of the two players together before the Status Committee.
Tendering a copy of the agreement dated August 24, 2001, which was signed by him and Mr Harry Zakour, former chairman of Hearts to buttress his claims, the Olympics chairman said the Status Committee had lumped the fees on the two players and asked Hearts to pay Olympics in three instalments.
Laryea Kingston was valued at 50 million cedis while Samuel Monnie was tagged 40 million cedis. He said the first instalment of 45 million cedis was to be paid by September 8, 2001, the second of 22.5 million on October 30, 2001 and the third of 12.5 million cedis on December 30, 2001, while the final instalment of 10 million cedis was "to off set a similar sum" owed by Olympics in respect of James Zogoh, a player Olympics had acquired from Hearts.
Mr Solomon said unfortunately all three cheques Hearts issued on the stipulated dates "were dishonoured several times" by their bankers, forcing the Olympics management to threaten to withdraw Laryea Kingston in the face of the African Champions league.
He said it was the threat, which compelled Hearts to pay 40 million cedis to Olympics on March 1, this year with a fresh payment proposal, which was rejected by Olympics that 40 million cedis should be in respect of Kingston and his outstanding balance be off-set by the debt Olympics owed them on Zogoh.
He said when Oly indicated their intention to sign on Winfred Dormon, Hearts responded by suggesting his swap with Kingston eventhough the two players do not attract the same price.
He said the transfer of Laryea and Monnie was concluded in August last year and a swap clause could not be introduced into it but rather, for the purposes of good neighbourliness, the 20 million cedis, which Olympics are offering for Dormon could be deducted from what Hearts owed them on their two players.
Mr Solomon said though Olympics are determined to cultivate a very cordial relationship with Hearts, it appears Hearts is out to frustrate them as they have refused to release the registration card of Dormon to enable him to play for Olympics.
The Olympics chairman said he viewed the new payment proposal put forward by Hearts as a ploy to deny his club its entitlement as Hearts had held on to the two players throughout last season and refused to release them to Olympics when they were having a tough run in the league and needed to revamp their team.
