Bofoakwa refute allegations of ticket racketeering

Sunyani, (B/A) May 3, GNA - The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tano Bofoakwa football club, Mr. Apraku Tuffour has refuted allegations levelled against the Club by Obuasi Ashgold over ticket racketeering during last week's FA knock-out match between Ashgold and Bofoakwa played at the Sunyani Coronation Stadium.

Mr Tuffour described the publication as unfortunate, baseless, totally untrue and unfounded, adding that Ashgold, which had a long-standing feud with his team, was using the allegations against the team to tarnish their image.

The CEO also denied that the Sunyani Coronation Park had become a fertile ground for perpetuating fraud at the gates during matches as the country had been made to perceive.

Mr. Apraku said at the press briefing in Sunyani reaction to a newspaper publication to that effect.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Joe Appiah, the Accountant of the Regional Sports Council and Mr. Augustine Asante, the Regional Chairman of the Football Association who are among a number of people at the centre stage of the publication.

Mr. Tuffour admitted that tickets in the denominations of 40 thousand cedis were charged at the gates for the VIP stand and that only 13 of the tickets were sold whereas the rest were given out as complimentary tickets, but added that the VIP stand did not even record a full attendance as indicated in the publication.

He explained that the amount accrued from the sale of the VIP tickets was used to pay for the services of the outside checkers after the match The Chief Executive Officer said that the CEO of Ashgold, Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo acted irresponsibly for failing to bring his own checkers to authenticate events and sales of tickets that preceded the match. Mr. Tuffour said that Mr. Kwame Yeboah, the Accra Representative of Bofoakwa who was being accused together with Mr. Appiah of duping the Ghana Football Association (GFA) was nowhere near the place where the counting, checking and the disbursement of the gates proceeds. He added that it was rather Mr. Awuah Foudjour, the welfare officer of Bofoakwa and Mr. Manu who represented the team at the counting and there was no way Mr. Yeboah could collaborate with the accountant to have duped the GFA.

The CEO explained that it was Mr. Yeboah who brought down the tickets from Accra and helped with its distribution and supervision at the gates and that some of the 10 thousand cedis tickets had to be converted to 20 thousand cedis and that was embossed on the function statement.

Mr Tuffour said that none of the teams that patronise the Sunyani Coronation Park, including matches of the Confederation of African Teams (CAF) complained of any dubious acts at the stadium. He said the gate proceeds of nine million cedis was one of the highest ever received at the stadium and so there was no way they would have under declared the account to the GFA. 03 May 06