Kwesi Nyantakyi
The suspended President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has sued investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI for damaging his reputation through a secretly recorded video which was shown to the public.
In a suit filed at an Accra High Court, the embattled former GFA boss averred that Anas and his investigative team “cunningly and mischievously edited his interactions with them in a bid to achieve their grand scheme of proving that they uncovered, through their investigations, corrupt activities of the GFA and its officials, including him (Nyantakyi).
He averred that the decision of Anas and his team to secretly record him and subsequently premiere it at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) to the general public had subjected him to public ridicule and hatred.
“I have accordingly been vilified, lampooned, humiliated and treated with disdain, scorn, opprobrium and disrespect following the publication of the secret recordings of edited, one sided and/or prejudiced versions of meetings between the respondents and myself,” the suit averred.
He stated that the secret recording of his conversations and interactions with Anas and his team is a “breach of my fundamental human right to privacy and confidentiality in my conversations and dealings with them.”
Although Mr. Nyantakyi admitted taking money in the Anas’ video, he revealed that he “was handed the sum of $40,000 only in eight bundles of $50 banknotes which he understood, as per their conversation, to be reimbursement of his travel cost in travelling to Dubai to meet the supposed Sheikh.
The former GFA boss, in his suit, also averred that during his correspondence with Anas and his team, the respondents criminally accessed his email, adding that he has evidence to that effect.
Thousands of Ghanaians from all walks of life trooped to the Accra International Conference Centre in June, this year to watch the Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest investigative piece, Number 12, which unravels alleged acts of corruption in Ghana football.
The investigative piece, which allegedly exposed the former GFA President, covers the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ghana FA Cup as well the Women’s League.
The video, which initially focused on football matters in the country, eventually ventured to political and investment matters, as the GFA boss tried to convince the ‘investors’ that he could influence the business community in the country.
The video has caused uproar in the country, with government and FIFA taking steps to dissolve the GFA.
In the interim, the GFA has been replaced with a Normalization Committee which has been tasked to oversee football administration in the country.
Mr. Nyantakyi, who has at all times maintained his innocence, has now sued Anas and his Tiger Eye PI as well as one Ahmed Hussein Soale, an employee of Anas.
“Anas and his team have no reasonable basis to suspect me of engaging in conduct inimical to society, necessitating their supposed undercover investigations or justifying their secret recording of my interactions with them in total defiance of my fundamental right to privacy, the suit said.
He added that there was no reason for Anas and his team to resort to deceit and fraudulent representations, as well as enticement schemes, with a view to luring him to engage in a conduct, which he was not hitherto engaged in and did not contemplate.
“Premiering the secretly recorded video at the AICC that shows me being corrupted by the respondents has exposed me to public ridicule, contempt and caustic adverse comments which resulted in the violation of my right to dignity,” the suit averred.
Mr. Nyantakyi is therefore seeking a declaration that the secret recording of his conversations and interactions with Anas and his team and publishing same without his consent and authority violate his fundamental human right to privacy and confidentiality in his dealings with others.
“A declaration that by prejudicially and deliberately publishing the secret recording of my conversations with Respondents and misrepresenting same to the public that Respondents paid me money under corrupt circumstances thereby exposing me to ridicule, contempt, caustic and adverse social comments, respondents violated my right to dignity.”
He is also seeking damages for the violation of his fundamental human rights as a result of the conduct of Anas and his team.
By Gibril Abdul Razak