Pele reacts to outcry on Shamo Quaye's transfer
Accra (Greater Accra) 28 June 2000
Mr Abuga Pele, a member of the Gbadegbe Player Transfer Commission of Inquiry has stated that there was no under-declaration in the Shamo Quaye's transfer fee or other transfers like that of Sam Johnson, neither was there any dispute over these transfers.
He was reacting to a newspaper comment alluding to the commission's failure to bring the alleged culprits in Shamo Quaye's transfer saga to book.
In a statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Pele said Shamo Quaye was transferred by Hearts of Oak to Umea Football Club (UFC) in Sweden in April 1996, acting through an agent of Sports Link of Sweden for 350,000 dollars.
Mr Pele, who is also a Member of Parliament said the contract document submitted to the commission and dated March 5, 1996 showed the break down of disbursement of the amount as -- 250,000 dollars as transfer fee for Hearts, 50,000 dollars as enticement fee to Shamo Quaye and 50,000 dollars for the agent.
He said documents submitted and other correspondence indicated that all parties, including Shamo Quaye and Hearts of Oak had accepted the terms of the transaction.
Mr Pele said the late Shamo Quaye flew to Sweden to fulfil his obligation to UFC and added that no one challenged this evidence.
He said Hearts in their testimony, also submitted a document to the commission which was a report of a committee set up on December 17, 1996 by the Hearts Board. The committee was to investigate improprieties in the transfer of some of its players. The report showed that the findings of this committee indicated that all parties in the Shamo Quaye transfer were paid their entitlements.
The MP said Mr Emmanuel Amoako, Secretary of the Sports Writers' Association of Ghana (SWAG), in his sworn oral evidence made to the commission, stated that when Shamo came down to Ghana, he went to his bankers and realised that an amount of 44,500 dollars was credited to his account. Mr Amoako said the player, therefore, authorised him to find out why, and when he contacted Mr Earnest Thompson of Hearts, he (Thompson) said Shamo should not have gone with the wife since that was not included in the agreement.
The statement said Mr Amoako later confirmed that after the involment of Shamo, the money was paid which was indicated in a letter signed by Shamo and submitted to the commission.
Mr Pele said during the six-month sittings of the commission, no individaul or group came forward to provide the commission with a different evidence to contradict what was already made available.
He said Mr Appiah Kubi, an agent who benefited from the Shamo transfer, was not specifically mentioned by name because like all other agents, the commission's recommendations called for an end to the involvement of unlicensed FIFA agents in the transfer of players.
Mr Pele said the commission further asked the Ghana Football Association to have a way of categorising and recognising local agents to avoid fraudulent practices by individuals styling themselves as agents. "Mr Kubi who is not resident in Ghana was, therefore, covered by this report."
He said on the other hand, the report mentioned the role of Wilgot Anderson, an agent in the Robert Boateng's transfer, because the player's enticement fee of 190,000 dollars was in his possession, which the player had made fruitless efforts to obtain.
“At the time of our deliberation, Mr Anderson had not even acknowledged this fact. The matter was, therefore, an issue and we had to make recommendation to (the) government and the GFA to go to the players' assistance. Of course on the hindsight perhaps the issues raised in the news paper in connection with the Shamo Quaye's affair could have been incorporated in the report so as to leave no one in doubt as to the impartiality and sincerity of the commission," he said.
The MP said when people who have knowledge on issues being investigated keep it to themselves instead of placing them at the disposal of the commission, they should not after the final report, be seen to be crying foul.
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