James K. Attaglo Wilson (info@sports24gh.com)
The well rehearsed movie script that was presented by Mr. Kwesi Nyantekyi to the Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 World Cup was completely washed ashore when Moses Armah Parker (Mozpak) appeared before the Justice Dzamefe led commission last week.
Making his appearance finally on Thursday after skipping his turn on two different occasions the owner and bank roller of Tarkwa based Medeama fc narrated the physical engagement that ensued between him and Sulley Ali Muntari at the Palace Hotel in Brazil.
According to Mr. Parker he hit back at Muntari when the midfielder tried to hit him for the third time but in Mr. Nyantekyi's testimony he said the Medeama owner did so on Sulley's second attempt.
"My lord just after I'd said that, please let's exercise a little patience because the money will surely come as the President (Mahama) himself had promised on Asamoah Gyan's phone I saw Sulley leaving his seat and shouted, shut up! shut up and sit down. Who are you?"
"I'm a management member, I replied."
"He was moving towards my direction and before I could say Jack he had already slapped me in the face and retreated about three steps back so I turned to the President (Nyantekyi's) position and he told me not to retaliate."
"Then Sulley returned again but let me emphasize here that the second wasn't a slap but a smash on my face. I again turned to the President's direction and he repeated again that I shouldn't retaliate."
"Soon as I turned, I saw Sulley unleashing a blow towards my face so I blocked it with my left hand and gave him a hefty blow (upper cut) which sent him on his canvas. It was his colleagues who helped him to stand on his feet," Mr. Parker noted.
"Whiles trying to get back on his feet, the President escorted me to my room which is, room 208. I told Mr. Nyantekyi to lock the door because Sulley may follow us there which he did."
"But whiles in the room my lord, we heard a knock on the door and President asked who was at the gate and the person responded that, it's me Alhaji (our security officer)"
"Few minutes after Alhaji had entered my room Sulley also showed up so Mr. Nyantekyi stood in front of me to shield me. At that moment I told the President to open up and that what will happen is going to happen then I saw Sulley quickly pulled a wine glass aimed it at me only for Mr. Nyantekyi to block it with his wrist."
"Did you say what will happen is going to happen?," Moses Foh-Amoaning quizzed.
"Yes my lord because I know Sulley can beat Nyantekyi and co but for me he can't. The President pushed me into the balcony and locked it and whiles there I could hear a lot of noise in the room but I didn't know what was exactly going on in there," Mr. Parker said.
"After thirty minutes or so the President opened me and my lord when I entered the room I saw my phones and Ipad broken into pieces on the floor so I asked who did that and I was told it's Sulley."
"The President then told me they wanted to relocate me to a nearby hotel across the street. I wanted to cause for Sulley's arrest because I didn't understand why he attacked me in that manner," Parker added.
"The security officers of Brazil in the hotel heard it and insisted on arresting Sulley Muntari and prosecute him in a Brazilian court so quickly we had to meet the technical team and take a decision because if we condone any act of indiscipline it spreads like cancer and eats up the whole team," this is what Mr. Nyantekyi said in his testimony.
"The next day Mr. Nyantekyi called me to his place and we did a calculation on my broken gadgets after which he gave me $8,000 for repairs,"
"Did I hear you say the FA President gave you $8,000 and did you signed for it?," Justice Dzamefe asked.
"Yes my lord I signed for it on a sheet of paper," Moses Parker answered.
"What about the appearance fee," Justice Dzamefe quizzed.
"My lord the President gave me $20,000 but he didn't ask me to sign so I didn't," Moses Parker said.
"Mr. Parker I know you will tell me that the first rule of life is self defence but as a management member under whose care the players have been entrusted do you think it is fair to physically beat a player," Justice Dzamefe queried.
"My lord that is why I didn't reply him until he threw the third blow," Moses Parker answered.
"But do you think it was fair to retaliate? There's a proverb in my language that if a child passes a stool on your laps you don't amputate it regardless of the provocation," Justice Dzamefe asked.
"My lord I defended myself," Moses Parker noted.
"We have heard your story and I really sympathize with you but yours is one side we haven't heard from Sulley yet so I can't judge," Justice Dzamefe added.
The most pressing questions that www.sports24gh.com is asking are;
(a) Did the fight start without any verbal assaults?
(b) Did the management committee members just watched on?
(c) Where was the security personnel at the time that the fight was going on?
(d) Did the security man actually lied motionless as Mr. Nyantekyi said?
(e) Did Sulley broke the gadgets?
(f) Who wanted to cause Sulley's arrest?
Certainly, the fact of the story is far from home and until Sulley Muntari spit his side of the game, the true story of Room 208 will never be told.
