Ato Ahwoi to pay 30,000 dollars for contempt

Accra (Greater Accra), 31^st August 99

Mr Ato Ahwoi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Accra Hearts of Oak Limited Liability Company, said on Monday that He stands the risk of paying 30,000 dollars for contempt of court in connection with Eugene Addo's transfer.

Mr Ahwoi, who was giving evidence before the player transfer Commission of Inquiry, said he is to pay the money by Wednesday, September one or go to jail for three months.

Presenting files on 14 players his administration transferred outside the country in 1995, Mr Ahwoi said Addo was in the process of being transferred to a second division club in Germany for an agreed fee of 50,000 dollars.

He said an Accra high court's stay of execution prevented the club from making any transfer because the club was not properly constituted to be a limited liability company.

Mr Ahwoi said the club felt the player was not transferred because he was still on the pay roll of Hearts adding that the foreign club had then deposited close to 30,000 dollars which even meant that the agreement was not finalised.

"But this shows the country in which we are living", he said, apparently referring to the court action.

Supporters of the two factions in Hearts, the limited liability company of the present administration, and those of the Hearts of Oak sporting club, led by the then former Board Secretary Mr. Bright Akwetey, filled the Commission to capacity.

Mr Ahwoi was able to submit files on each player with detailed information on all the 14 players transferred by the club.

Prominent among them were Emmanuel Armah, Eugene Addo and Stephen Appiah.

Last Wednesday, Armah prayed the commissioned to assist him retrieve 16,500 dollars believed to have been paid by his Romania club Sportul Studentesc from official of Hearts of Oak.

Reacting to Armah's appeal Mr Ahwoi said some where in 1995, his administration received a letter from the Romania club intimating some unusual behaviour from Armah.

He said the club has since been reluctant to settle the player's enticement fee balance of 12,000 dollars and salaries amounting to 16,500 dollars.

Among some the allegations made against Armah in the letter were that the player reported late for the start of the league season, was not following training instructions and granted interview to the Romania Press without first seeking perkmission.

Mr Ahwoi said through the collective effort of Hearts and the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the foreign club agreed to pay the balance within a Month and again expressed interest in Armah and promised to take him back after the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

He said unknown to the Hearts Management, Armah had signed a personal agreement with the Romania club that the money be paid to him on his arrival in Romania.

Mr Ahwoi said since the club failed to live by its word and abandoned the player Hearts were unable to retrieve the balance based on the undertaken Armah had with his foreign team.

On another allegation made by the player that Mr Ernest Thompson, Secretary to the Board, signed his (Armah) column of the agreement, document tendered in showed that M. Thompson signed as a representative of Hearts and not in the name of Armah.

Unfortunately, Armah's counsel was not given the chance to cross-examine Mr Ahwoi because of time constrains.

On Stephen Appiah's transfer, Mr Ahwoi said the player was "sold" to Udinese for 220,000 dollars in 1997 with an enticement fee of 40,000 dollars to the player.

He said early this year Hearts got to know that the player has been further transferred by Udinese to Parma, also in Italy.

Mr Ahwoi said when Hearts asked for details from Udinese, they were told he was loaned, thus creating a situation to deny Hearts of their share of the money.

He said Accra Hearts were later informed by the club that the player has fallen sick and has been sent to the United States for treatment.

Mr Ahwoi said his Administration is still monitoring the player and will furnish the Commission with any development.

He said that the transfer transactions of Theophilus Amuzu and Owusu Afrieyie were not undertaken by Hearts but by the players former club, African Stars who paid certain percentages to Hearts.

Some of the players transferred include Sam Johnson to Greece for 200,000 dollars, Christian Saba-Germany for 200,000 dollars, Osumanu Amadu-Tunisia for 80,000 dollars and the late Shamo Quaye to Sweden for 250,000 dollars.

Mr Bright Akwetey, Secretary to the former Board (Hearts of Oak Sporting Club) also submitted documents on 11 players dis Administration transferred.

Mr Akwetey alleged that Mr Ernest Bediako, an Executive Member of Hearts Limited at one time attempted to sell Armah to Norttenham Forest in England without their knowledge of the club.

Other people, who appeared before the Commission, were Mr Abra Appiah and Jascot Ampadu, both of Okwawu United, Adam Munkaila Alhassan of Real Tamale United and Nana Ekow Selby (Joe Ringo), former chairman of Swedru All Blacks.

Throwing more light on Gargo's transfer, Mr Alhassan said the player was transferred to Torino in 1991 through an agent called Domico Recci for 300,000 dollars.

He said that because the player was a minor at that time, no international transfer certificate (ITC) was issued until 1996 when the player's contract with Torino expired and was to be transferred by Recci as a free agent to Udinese, in Italy.

Mr Alhassan said though the ITC was issued, no amount was either paid to the club or the GFA but Gargo made them to believe that he was to send 20,000 dollars from his personal money to RTU adding that the club has since not received a dime from him.

Mr Joe Ringo alleged that Baba Amando, former player of All Blacks was sold by the present Chairman of the club, George Edusei Poku through Mr Jones Abu Alhassan (agent) for 700,000 dollars and not 250,000 as earlier reported.

Asked for his source of information, Joe Ringo mentioned the player.

Reacting to the allegation Mr Abu Alhassan said he acted on behalf of an agency, Sports Link in Dubai for the player to be transferred to Saudi Arabia for 250,000 dollars.

He said initially the transfer sum was 300,000 dollars but after the first three matches which the player failed to score a goal, the foreign club was no longer interested in him.

Mr Alhassan said after some persistence, the 250,000 was agreed.

The Commission has summoned the player, Joe Ringo and Mr Alhassan to appear before it for cross examination.

Sitting continues.

GRi…/