Accra, Jan 7, GNA-The Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) has threatened to pursue legal action against Mr. Edward Arckah, a staff writer of Kotoko Express, the official mouthpiece of the Kumasi club who on Tuesday linked the association with a bribery scandal in an interview on an Accra Radio Station.
Mr. Kudjo Fianoo, administrative manager of the club told GNA Sports that GHALCA has requested for a copy of the tape in which Mr Arckah allegedly accused the association of a failed attempt to bribe Asante Kotoko with 20 million cedis to participate in the Coca Cola Top 4 Tournament.
He said GHALCA has taken the allegation seriously and would drag Mr. Arckah to court to prove his case or otherwise. "As soon as we get a copy of the tape, we will contact our legal man to take action against Arckah for him to tell the world where he got those facts from."
Mr Fianoo who denied the allegation described the issue as a mafia style attempt to throw dust into the eyes of the public, insisting that GHALCA would not allow any individual or group to throw the reputation of the association into disrepute.
"At least for a bribe action to be carried on, there must be a giver and the receiver and our contention in court will be based on challenging the accuser to expose the characters mentioned above," he stressed.
In a related development Mr Kojo Nyarko, the deputy Accra representative of Kotoko has said that GHALCA lied to the public when it stated that Kotoko initially agreed to take 120-million preparation money presented to all four clubs participating in the Top 4. My Nyarko who was reacting to a Graphic Sports back page story which quoted GHALCA as saying Kotoko earlier accepted the 120 million cedis proposal only to come back later with another figure said Ghalca's assertion was incorrect.
The Accra Representative said GHALCA led by Mr. Fianoo, Mr Richard Quashie and Mr Kwasi Nyantekyie on December 4, held a "secret meeting" with Kotoko where Kotoko demanded 400 million cedis instead of the 120 million cedis being offered by GHALCA.
According to him, the 400 million cedi deal was agreed upon by both parties with Mr Sylvester Asare-Owusu, Mr Frank Osei-Wusu and Mr Amoa Bosompim representing Kotoko.
He explained that Kotoko as a matter of principles decided not to raise any objections when GHALCA proposed 120 million five days later (December 5) while meeting all four clubs at the request of the association due to the earlier agreement.
Describing GHALCA's outburst as "empty," Mr Nyarko said "we decided to come public when it became evident that our partners were bad businessmen who could not keep their word," he said.
On his part Mr Fianoo expressed dismay at the Kotoko representatives' allegation and described it as "tactics employed by the club to paint the association black in its quest to defend the indefensible."
"How could we have done that in silence, thinking no one will hear of it knowing very well have an obligation to present our account and budget among others to our members annually, which include the representatives of Hearts, Liberty and King Faisal? He quizzed.
