An Accra High Court has ordered the Registrar General’s Department to return all assets in its possession belonging to the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
This follows Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame’s application Tuesday, to withdraw a petition the state filed earlier to liquidate the country’s football governing body and all its assets.
The court has also revoked its earlier order appointing the Registrar General, Jemimah Oware, as the official Liquidator of GFA.
The state rescinded its decision to dissolve the football body after meeting with officials of the world football governing body.
FIFA had issued a warning to the government of Ghana to withdraw its plans to “interfere” with the matters of GFA or the country might face a ban from football activities.
A government delegation led by the Sports Minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, travelled to Zurich to negotiate with FIFA on the way forward.
Speaking to journalists after court proceedings, Mr. Dame reiterated that the agreement with FIFA to set up a normalization committee to take over running of football in the country for the interim triggered their decision to stop the liquidation.
Godfred Dame
“In the next two days we will have the announcement of the normalization committee set up by FIFA and the Ghana government and then they will assume the powers of the GFA….” Mr Dame said.
He added that the normalisation committee will replace the current executive committee of the GFA and review the statutes of the association and also organise fresh elections for the GFA.
The government earlier in 2018, took steps to dissolve the football body after undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas released his investigative piece on the GFA which captured sports officials, including referees and former GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi on tape allegedly taking bribe.
The AG had argued that, the GFA had become “an obscene emblem of corruption” making it necessary for dissolution.
Criminal aspect
Godfred Dame also revealed that the investigative bodies handling the criminal aspect of the case are yet to conclude their work.
“They do things according to their own procedure,” he noted.