Former President John Mahama
It is emerging that the Arabian investor at the centre of the Anas Aremeyaw Anas investigative piece that has caught the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwasi Nyantakyi in the web allegedly gave then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) $8 million to support the re-election of John Mahama.
The bombshell by the beleaguered GFA capo in his statement to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is beginning to form part of the allegations being investigated by the Ghana Police Service.
It turned out that the person (name withheld) who posed as the agent for Anas in the interview with Mr. Nyantakyi made sensational claim to the effect that the Sheikh supported the NDC’s campaign with the $8 million.
The Anas agent, according to Mr. Nyantakyi’s statement, claimed the Sheikh was ready to do same for the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration in exchange for contracts in the oil industry, indicating that he had held similar discussions with the Mahama administration.
The Arabian sheikh is said to be operating in the oil and construction industry, and that in 2016 he was ready to establish oil refinery after holding talks with the previous administration.
As a result, Mr. Nyantakyi reportedly told the said individual that if the party that lost the election had been given $8 million then the Sheikh should be prepared to give a similar amount or more to the party (NPP) that won the election and formed government.
It emerged that the Anas investigators started with football matters, particularly sponsorship for the Ghana Premier League but ended up discussing oil matters with Mr. Nyantakyi.
Mischief
Kwesi Nyantakyi said that his conversation with Anas’ agent had been heavily edited, challenging Anas to play the unedited full conversation if he was not up to a mischief.
The GFA boss was arrested on Wednesday, May 23, after President Akufo-Addo had made a report to the police for using his name in a business transaction in an investigative piece by Anas.
The embattled GFA boss was arrested after disembarking an Ethiopian airline after undertaking assignment for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Morocco.
He is said to have expressed his desire to assist the police investigators after going through about five-hour grilling.
Before Mr. Nyantakyi’s arrest, Deputy Chief of Staff, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had said at a media briefing on Tuesday that the GFA boss was a subject of an investigation by the CID after the President had seen parts of an investigative piece by ace journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Mr. Jinapor said Mr. Nyantakyi was captured by Anas’ Tiger Eye PI allegedly trying to secure investments in the name of the President, Vice President and other key government officials and that formed the basis for President Akufo-Addo’s complaint to the police CID.
Anas and his Tiger Eye PI are set to premier the documentary titled: “Number 12: When Misconduct and Greed Become the Norm,” tomorrow, June 6.
An investigative piece by Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team allegedly captured the FA boss using the names of President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and other top government officials to demand ‘bribe’ from some supposed foreign investors into the country.
Mr. Nyantakyi’s arrest has sparked heated debate, bringing Anas’ investigative skills into the spotlight once again, with an accusation of entrapment.
Currently, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who clearly does not appear to be enthused about Anas’ modus operandi, has started questioning how the journalist – whose name apparently evokes fear in some people – conducts his investigations.
By William Yaw Owusu