Former Ghana Football Association President Kwasi Nyantakyi has revealed that he has never claimed to have any influence over President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He declared that the claim made in his documentary “Number 12” by the distinguished investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is wholly untrue.
Speaking on Starr Chart, Nyantakyi made the claim in reference to the contentious Anas documentary from 2018, which resulted in his suspension from football.
“I never said that [President Akufo-Addo was in my pocket],” Nyantakyi asserted. “You see the propaganda. I never said that.”
He clarified that he saw nothing wrong with introducing potential investors to politicians, saying he had had business talks with people posing as investors interested in constructing a $2 billion refinery in Ghana.
“I said that I am a Ghanaian, I know politicians and once they want to invest I can lead them to these politicians and I don’t think there was anything bad about that,” Nyantakyi clarified.
The former owner of Wa All Stars insisted that he was unfairly singled out in the documentary and that he never participated in any illegal activity.
“These are people who falsely represented themselves as large business conglomerates and that they could build a refinery in Ghana, which cost over $2 billion and that is how it all came about,” he added.
Nyantakyi was banned for life by FIFA due to his involvement in the scandal, but the ban was later reduced to 15 years upon appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Prior to the documentary’s release, President Akufo-Addo issued an order for Nyantakyi’s arrest. Then-Deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor claimed on Peace FM that Nyantakyi had engaged in influence peddling using the President’s name.
I never said I had the president in my pocket, Anas should produce the tape where I said that. This is how it all happened…
– Fmr. GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi#StarrChat with @TheRealBolaRay pic.twitter.com/2gVMPg3R0p
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) January 11, 2024
