Ex-Sports Minister O.B. Amoah has slammed leaks from the ministry as 'suicidal' after claims that the government body secretly briefed journalists that bribes were paid to secure the country's place at the 2014 World Cup.
Amoah, who was hugely instrumental in Ghana's first qualification for the global tournament in 2006, fears FIFA and CAF could take serious actions against the country over the leaks.
Ghana Sports Newspapers claimed that the ministry leaked documents showing that the government paid $420,000 as “bribes”to aid the Black Stars beat Egypt to the global showpiece.
Ghana are among the top countries tipped to by several sports betting odds to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but the claim from the newspaper is proving extremely damaging.
The Black Stars have been drawn in the same qualifying group with Egypt, Congo and Uganda as onlinesportsbettingsites.co.uk is among the websites where links for the odds for the upcoming matches in the qualifiers could be found.
However, the supposed leaked report has really generated arguments in the public over payments referred to as “unclassified” in order to secure Ghana qualification to the soccer fiesta.
‘‘Because I was not in the ministries when this things were allege to have occurred it will be difficult for me to make a categorical statement, but what I expect is for the ministry to come out and tell as the whole fact," Amoah said in an interview.
"Indeed I was also expecting the Ghana Football Association to come in which I understand they have deny that fact, the ministry should also come out to tell us weather indeed that information which came from them or the Person who speculated had enough fact to speculate what has come out.
"If Ghana is alleged to have compromised positions and to have even paid moneys to be able to qualify to the World Cup is a very serious matter and I don’t think CAF or FIFA would just close their eyes on such things, probably sooner or later they may even asked the GFA to response to these allegations,” he added.
The GFA has been engaged in a tussle with the Ministry which is embarking to wrestle control the national teams even though the move is illegal.
One of the means meant to make the GFA unpopular is to claim the federation is profligate with its spending when its the ministry that approves it budget and spends without the intervention of the federation.
The ministry has denied that it ever leaked a document or made a claim to the newspaper however several leaks from have been exposed.
The ministry sent out a letter meant for the federation as a press release several pundits close to the ministry been confirmed they have been shown several documents by the ministry.
The stand-off between the ministry and the GFA is likely to damage the fortunes of the Black Stars.
Source: ghanasoccernet.com
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