The government is set to initiate processes to refund Ghana’s first world boxing title holder, David Kotei, popularly called D.K. Poison‘s $45,000.
A statement, signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, noted that the payment is being made on compassionate grounds.
The statement, copied to the Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah, has since directed the Ministry of Finance to effect the necessary action.
This comes after President Nana Akufo-Addo assured him he would look into the lingering case of the possible State debt.
D.K. Poison had been waiting for more than four decades for the re-payment of a loan he extended to the Government of Ghana from his fight purse.
According to the legend, he earned a purse of $75,000 from that bout and was paid an amount of 34,000 cedis, through a transfer at the then Barclays Bank, which was equivalent to $30,000 at the time.
This meant that an outstanding amount of $45,000 was to be paid to him.
The loan was advanced purely on a gentleman’s agreement with officials of the then Military Government of Ghana, back in Tokyo Japan where D.K. Poison had won his second title defence against Shigefumi Fukuyama.
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At the time, there was economic difficulty in Ghana and the unavailability of foreign exchange further complicated issues.
Meanwhile, a Joy News/Joy Sports Hotline documentary, The Boxing Loan aired on Monday, October 5, 2020, highlighted this all-important angle.
Below is the full statement:
