Africa football, A cash and Carry - HEYKAYJONES BLOG

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Thursday, 7 June 2018

Africa football, A cash and Carry


A Kenyan referee and a FIFA and CAF executive have been been implicated for corruption by a ghanian undercover journalist.

Kenya's Adel Range Marwa, one of Africa's World Cup-bound referees, will no longer be in Russia after being filmed receiving a $600 'gift'.

Marwa was given money by an undercover reporter posing as an official of a top Ghanaian football side.

Ghana's Fifa Council member Kwesi Nyantakyi, the second most powerful man in African football, was also caught in a separate sting operation.

The investigation by controversial journalist Anas Aremayaw Anas has raised serious questions about the nature of the continent's favourite game.

BBC Africa Eye has had exclusive access to dozens of hours of Anas's footage for its latest film.

Nyantakyi was pictured placing $65,000 "shopping money" into a plastic bag from an undercover reporter pretending to be a businessman keen to invest in Ghanaian football.

He later agreed a sponsorship deal, invented by the reporters, which could have enabled millions of dollars supposedly destined for the Ghana FA (GFA), which he has presided over since 2005, to be diverted to one of his own companies.

World Cup Referee

Marwa, the sole Kenyan among the 16 African officials designated for Russia, has resigned his position, says football's world governing body Fifa.

Despite Fifa rules expressly forbidding officials from receiving gifts that create a conflict of interest, and outlawing the taking of any cash gift, over one hundred were caught doing so by Anas' team.

"Thank you for the gift, but you know, the most important is our friendship, getting to know each other," the Kenyan, 41, said after accepting the money.

He had met the undercover reporter for the first time just minutes earlier.

In response to the allegations, Marwa has denied any wrongdoing.

Fifa said it has asked its investigatory and judicial bodies to follow up on the claims raised by the documentary.

Kwesi Nyantaky

Kwesi Nyantakyi, the president of Ghana's FA and the first vice-president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), was also filmed receiving money.

The Ghanaian is also a member of the prestigious Fifa Council, effectively the board that runs world football.

Nyantakyi, who made anti-corruption a big part of his message since taking charge of the GFA was pictured placing $65,000 gift of "shopping money" into a black plastic bag.

The donor - an undercover reporter from Anas' investigative team - was pretending to be a businessman from a Middle Eastern company wanting to invest in Ghanaian football.

The investigation team had invited Nyantakyi to a luxury hotel in the Middle East with the promise of a meeting with a wealthy businessman interested in a sponsorship deal with the GFA.

Nyantakyi went on to both negotiate and write up the sponsorship deal on behalf of the GFA, which could have allowed a cut to go to a company he owned.

He could potentially have made $4.5 million from the diversion of funds should the fictitious deal have gone ahead.

Nyantakyi declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.

Blowing the whistle

Much of the investigation centred on referees freely accepting gifts of money, with scenes of officials taking cash before multiple domestic Ghanaian and international games.

At one point, the team are filmed handing over money in the referees' changing room just an hour before kick-off of a match in the regional West African Football Union (Wafu) Cup between Ghana and Mali.

The undercover reporters had been guided there by Charles Dowuna, a technical instructor - also Ghanaian - for the competition.

Dowuna received, funds totaling some $2,500 during the 16-team tournament. The BBC has contacted Dowuna but he declined to respond.

African Champions League

Ivory Coast referee Denis Dembele accepted $700 ahead of the Round of 32 clash between Ghana's Aduana Stars and Algeria's Entente Setif in this season's Champions League. 

Stars were later eliminated after losing the second leg 4-0.

Reacting to the various allegations, Caf said in a statement: "Our Confederation will not under any circumstances tolerate corruption, manipulation, bribery or any form of violation of our Statutes, Rules and Regulations."

But The Ghanaian has been accused of both entrapment and enticement by Charles Bentum, a leading lawyer in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

"It is wrong to induce somebody by an enticement of some lucrative - some big money or whatever - and then turn around to say the person is corrupt," said Bentum.

"Indeed, for law, the giver is as guilty as the receiver. So, you cannot exonerate their enticer and condemn their...victim."

Anas said football ethics are clear how a referee is supposed to behave. So if you are seen tilting the scale of justice in favour of one team it's wholly unacceptable, let alone stretching your arm to collect money."

Courtesy of the BBC .

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