Hearts protest against imprisonment of supporters

Accra, Sept 4, GNA - Accra Hearts of Oak has expressed shock and utter dismay over the imprisonment of some supporters of the club for various offences after their recent match against Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.

A statement signed by Mr Thomas Okine, Chief Executive of the club, said such prosecutions by the Police would rather harden the resolve of the supporters in subsequent matches rather than achieving any deterrent purpose.

The statement continued that Hearts are not happy with the quick procedure used in the imprisoned the supporters since once the Police identified them as Hearts fans, they (Hearts) should have been invited to at least arrange for a proper legal representation for them. It continued that Hearts are not happy with the selective justice by the Police since no fan of Kotoko has been prosecuted after clear incidents of violence displayed during their match at the Kumasi Sports Stadium, which resulted in a sports broadcaster being assaulted. The statement gave a catalogue of incidents including that of two years ago when a fan of Kotoko rudely interrupted the team's warm up at the Kumasi Sports Stadium and inflicted a knife wound on the then skipper Jacob Nettey's eyebrow and the culprit is still a freeman. Another instance was when a supporter assaulted an official a year ago with a football boot in Sunyani during a league match between Kotoko and Tano Bofoakwa, which brought the game to an abrupt end, but the follow is yet to be persecuted.

It said during Sunday's encounter "machomen" of Kotoko were holding and threatening people with electric shock sticks, which were seized by the Police, but these men are still walking free.

It said Hearts are not happy that an amount of 40 million cedis has been withheld from their gate proceeds to repair damaged chairs at the stadium whiles Kotoko were never surcharged for the wanton destruction of the same chairs that brought about the May 9th disaster.

"All this happened because after the Okudzeto Commission set up to investigate the May 9th disaster stated in its report supported by the Government's white paper said blames should not be apportioned." (May be because it involved Kotoko.)

The statement said barely two days after the last Sunday's encounter against Kotoko "We were hurled before the Disciplinary Committee for violent conduct in spite of the fact that we had apologized for the same offence".

It said ironically Referee Essel Walker and his Assistant Nicolas Djomoah whose act provoked the violence are free persons as at now and have not been called to face any committee of the GFA. The statement deemed the conduct of the Police as unfair as they are aimed at intimidating their supporters from watching Hearts matches thereby depriving the club of revenue to weaken its championship aspirations.

Meanwhile the club has referred the imprisonment of the four supporters to its legal department for advice with the view of appealing against the decision of the Medina Magistrate Court and also arrange legal representation whiles it appealed to supporters and sympathizers to stay calm.