World football governing body, Fifa, has announced a joint task force of five people with the Government of Ghana.
This was made known at a joint press conference with the Normalization Committee whose mandate has now been officially extended to September 30 on Friday morning.
The temporary structure comes into existence with the remit of “creating proper disciplinary, governance and auditing mechanisms as well as ensure that persons who are found culpable are punished in accordance with Ghanaian domestic laws and its statutes.”
Once the task force completes its mission and makes its recommendations, the 5-man structure will be dissolved.
This Fifa/GoG task force has Dr. Kofi Amoah, the President of the Normalization Committee for the Ghana Football Association as Chairman.
Deputy Attorney-General Godfred Dame, represents the Government of Ghana on the task force.
Renowned Lawyer Jean Samuel Leaba and Peter Limacher, a Swiss attorney with Uefa experience are also on board as Fifa Consultants.
Zimbabwean Solomon Mudege, a Fifa Senior Manager for Development programmes (Africa) completes the team as Secretary to the task force.
Background:
The task force stems from a an August 16, 2018 meeting involving a delegation of the Government of Ghana (GoG) led by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah (MP), and comprising the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister for Information designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (MP), the Deputy-Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, and then head of the Fifa/Caf liaison team, Dr. Kofi Amoah, with a delegation of Fifa officials led by its President, Mr Gianni Infantino, and comprising the Secretary General, Madam Fatma Samoura, and other representatives of the Fifa administration.
Parts of the resolution at the meeting was:
- That the GoG and Fifa shall work closely to eradicate corruption and malfeasance and other associated criminal conduct from the administration of football in Ghana;
- The GoG and Fifa shall establish a joint task force to create proper disciplinary, governance and auditing mechanisms as well as ensure that persons who are found culpable are punished in accordance with Ghanaian domestic laws and Fifa statutes;
Prior to this, Fifa had issued a suspension warning to Ghana over government’s move to liquidate the Ghana Football Association following revelations of acts of corruption involving top administrators and match officials in an investigative piece dubbed Number 12 by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas..
The Bureau of the Council said it “considers that the petition introduced by the Attorney General to the High Court of Justice to start the liquidation process of the GFA constitutes undue influence in the affairs of the GFA in contravention of art. 14 par. 1 i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the Fifa Statutes.”
“Under these circumstances, the Bureau decided that if the petition to start the liquidation process of the GFA is not withdrawn by Monday, 27 August 2018 at 12:00 (CET), the GFA will be suspended with immediate effect.
“The suspension would be lifted only once the above-mentioned petition is withdrawn and Fifa is given written proof thereof,” portions of the August 14 statement read.
The GoG then sent a delegation to meet Fifa in Zurich where it was resolved that a task force should be established going forward.
