Our hands are clean-Okine

Accra, July 11, GNA-Mr. Thomas Okine, Chief Executive of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club, has stated that his administration has not been in anyway involved in a financial malfeasance as being peddled in certain quarters.

"I am ready to submit my administration to any form of auditing to determine whether there is any financial malfeasance within it," he declared.

Addressing a large army of club supporters at a rally at the clubs' training ground on Thursday evening, the Chief Executive said his administration has used every penny of the clubs judiciously.

.. He said the club is now cash trapped because its coffers are empty and it is finding it difficult meet financial commitments.

Mr. Okine assured the fans that in spite of all these problems, the club is determined to retain the league title for the seventh time adding that the playing body has been given the needed motivation to achieve this feat.

The Chief Executive said considering the present predicament of the club there is the need for all followers to contribute towards its development.

He said every supporter must make it a point to donate money towards the running of the club because with sound financial backing there is no way any club in the country can match them on the field.

"Even in this "HIPIC" situation our opponents are finding it difficult to beat us and this is an indication that we would continue with our dominance on the local league, if all of you contribute to the club". Mr. Okine told the fans.

"It is not my intention to let the club down and this is football where we might either win, draw or lose some matches but this should not call for an attack on the management, coach or the players," he advised the fans.

On the clubs' local derby on Sunday against Accra Great Olympics in the premier league, Mr. Okine said the spirit of the club would bounce back because they have identified the problem with the team and it has been taken care of.

He said the club is going to have a resounding victory over Olympics to start its all conquering spree this year.

Mr. Okine refused to comment on the on going Charles Taylor saga but called on the supporters to pay the required gate fees when they attend matches at the stadium since this would also go a long way to boost the finances of the club.

Commenting on the Taylor saga, Mr. Randy Abbey Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the club said fans should ignore reports on radio stations that the player would be a floating player after paying the 650, 000,000 cedis fine and that the team would have no control over him again. "Radio stations do not make transfer laws and cannot determine the status of any player in Ghana," Mr. Abbey added.

He said the four-month ban imposed on the player by the GFA was out of tune with the Association's own regulations pointing out that Taylor was registered after the Wangara Investigations and this means the ban should have been effective from that date and not May 11 when the league started.

He said there are many inconsistencies in the administration of the football controlling body and called on members to sit up.