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Kurt Okraku holds dialogue with GFA Disciplinary Committee
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin-Simeon Okraku, has urged the Disciplinary Committee (DC) to work towards expeditious adjudication of cases and speedy dispensation of justice.
Addressing the 10-member Committee, chaired by Osei Kwadwo Adow Esq., President Okraku urged the members of the judicial body to dispense justice with alacrity as undue delays become a significant barrier to the effective administration of justice to the football community.
In a healthy and broad discussion, the President engaged members of the committee on the scope of their work, processes and logistical challenges, as well as the future outlook for this vital judicial organ of the GFA.
He assured that the Football Association would continue to invest in the judicial bodies by way of providing logistics and organising capacity building programmes, amongst others, to enable them to deliver on their mandate speedily.
Mr. Okraku said Match Commissioners and Referees will also undergo further training as has been done on a yearly basis.
President Okraku used the opportunity to commend members of the Committee for their dedication to duty.
“The essence of this engagement is to say ‘thank you’ for your support for the work of the FA and the football family. We do appreciate your work,” President Okraku said.
The President spoke highly about the new prosecutor whose work ethic received widespread commendation from the Committee.
“You would realise that we have changed the prosecutors. We now have a new prosecutor and I think he’s brought some energy into the process,” he said.
“I want to listen to your team as to how we can make this process a lot quicker, for decisions to come out a lot faster than we currently have. And then if there are inherent issues, we can pick them up and I will get the General Secretary to react immediately.”
Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Osei Kwadwo Adow Esq., called for a retreat for the judicial bodies to brainstorm at the end of the season.
“We want the FA to organise a retreat for the committee at the end of the season for us to assess ourselves and to look at the laws we are applying: To look at the procedures through which cases go before they get to us,” he said.
In supporting the call for the retreat, President Kurt Okraku said: “We’ve been talking about a retreat. I think that the retreat will focus on all the judicial committees of the FA so that there is a clear synergy amongst them. The retreat will provide a platform for participants to share ideas.”
He re-echoed his immense gratitude to the members of the Committee.
“On behalf of the Executive Council and on my own behalf, I would like to thank you once again for your dedicated service. I think we’ve come from a point where we’ve improved a lot. It’s very clear from the submissions that there is a lot that we can do for enhanced service delivery and I encourage all of you to sustain your support and make sure we deliver justice to our football community.” the President concluded.
The Ghana Football Association, under the leadership of Kurt Okraku is determined to build strong independent bodies for the betterment of the football community.
GFA COMMUNICATIONS
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
