Asante Kotoko and former head coach, Maxwell Konadu, are dominating the media space due to unpaid salary since his departure in December 2020.
Kotoko terminated Konadu’s contract on December 17, 2020, one year into the two-year contract he signed in December 2019 to rejoin the club for a second spell.
The reason for the contract termination, according to the club, was due to poor performance.
However, in February 2020, Konadu wrote to the club and demanded he is paid the sum of $36,000, being the total sum of the remaining 12 months of his contract. He further demanded GH¢30,000 as the balance on his signing-on fees, as well as $60,000 for general damages for breach of contract and unjustified termination.
The Nana Yaw Amponsah-led management, in a reply to the coach, said coach Konadu was only due three months salary in the event of termination, per the dictates of his contract, as well as his outstanding signing on fee of GH¢30,000.00.
The club also asked the former Black Stars assistant coach to return the vehicle [Toyota Fortuner] given to him in his capacity as head coach, which was donated to the club by board member Kofi Abban.
According to a statement signed by the acting Communications Manager for the club, David Obeng, Kotoko attempted to make payments to Konadu per what they believed was due him (GH¢80,500 in total), but Konadu rejected the money and stated in a letter that he would also not return the car until Kotoko have paid all monies due him ($87,000 in all).
The club then wrote back to Konadu, demanding an amount of $22,800, representing what they say is “loss of use” for the period December 19, 2020, to March 5, 2021, as a result of Konadu’s refusal to return the car.
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Konadu has since reported the matter to the Ghana Football Association’s Players’ Status Committee which is set to adjudicate on the matter in the coming weeks.
For now, Konadu continues to keep the company car but the club has given a 24-hour ultimatum to Konadu to return the vehicle and pay the money or face legal action.
However, Konadu has responded to the demands being made by his former club, stating the compensation for loss of use of the vehicle is baseless and a ploy by the management to seek equalisation after seeking redress from the Players Status Committee on his unpaid entitlements.
Below is his response to the club:
