Allotey hasn't received 30,000 dollars signing on fee

Starlets pick 24 for New Zealand

Accra (Greater Accra), 6^th November 99

Ghanaian international, Patrick Allotey says he has not received his signing on fee of 30,000 dollars since he was transferred from Gag Roos F/C, a first division club based in Tarkwa to Feyenoord of Holland in 1995.

Mr. Justice Sule Gbadegbe, Chairman of the Commission, probing the international player transfer, disclosed this at the Commission's sitting in Accra on Friday.

He said Allotey's claim was contained in a fax message from Holland to the Commission, seeking its assistance to trace the whereabouts of the money.

Allotey, a member of the 1995 Black Starlets squad, was transferred to the Dutch club for 100,000 dollars. Gag Roos were entitled to 70,000 dollars out of which 7,000 dollars was paid to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as its 10 per cent share.

Mr. Kwaku Ayiah, Secretary to the club, said 63,000 dollars and not 70,000 dollars as quoted by Mr. Fred Sackeyfio, former chief executive of Gag Roos, was paid to the club through the Ghana Australian Mining Company's accounts in London.

He said he did not know who was in possession of Allotey's money because when they got in touch with him after the Starlets had returned from Ecuador, Allotey told him (Ayiah) that he had already finished his part of the negotiations and that Gag Roos were to facilitate his transfer.

He said, Allotey told him that his part of the negotiations were done by his manager, Mr. Ebenezer Mensah, who claims to be a brother of Mr. E.T. Mensah, Minister of Youth and Sports and also an agent of Feyenoord.

Mr. Ayiah said the contract mentioned Ghapoha F/C as Allotey's club and not Gag Roos and quoted a bank account at the Ghana Commercial Bank through which the money would be paid.

He said because he was not satisfied with the contents of the contract he went to Mr. Sam Arday, the Coach of the Starlets for verification and he (Arday) told him that everything was in order.

"In order not to hamper Allotey's progress in his football career, I was sent from Tarkwa to come and meet him, his manager, and the agent in Accra to talk things over with them but I was told on my arrival that the player, his mother and manager had all left Accra for Tarkwa."

Mr. Ayiah said when he got back to Tarkwa, he realised that a new contract had been signed that would give Gag Roos 63,000 dollars excluding Allotey's signing on fee and that the agent would pay the GFA a percentage for the ITC.

The Commission decided to get in touch with the GFA, Mr. Mensah and the gent to ascertain who paid for the ITC since it would help it know who received Allotey's money.

It also asked Gag Roos to make available a copy of the first agreement since that was signed on a Feyenoord letterhead while the second was on a Gag Roos letterhead.

Meanwhile Mr. Kofi Opare-Addo of Feyenoord Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Feyenoord Rotterdam, has confirmed that the club paid Gag Roos 100,000 dollars but he did not know how the money was disbursed.

He pledged to assist the Commission by finding out from Feyernoord who the money was paid to by Friday November 12.

On Great Corinthians F/C, an Accra-based second division club's claim of 30 per cent share of Allotey's transfer fee, Mr. Ayiah said if the former coach of Gag Roos, Jessie Reindorf signed such a document on behalf of the club, he did not have the mandate to do so.

He said although they have not seen the document, which Mr. Reindorf claims he gave to Mr. Peter Bradford, the former Manager of the Company, they have paid two million cedis to Corinthians when the GFA asked them to compensate them.

Lt. Col Daniel Okyere Asiamah (rtd), ex-Chairman of Gag Roos, who was mentioned by Mr. Reindorf about a month ago as a witness when the contract was signed, denied seeing the document but Mr. Reindorf could not challenge it.

He said the club paid a total of 1.5 million cedis to the five players, including Allotey, recruited by Mr. Reindorf for Gag Roos when he took over as coach in 1993 and that was the end.

"I have never seen any contract which states that any percentage has to be paid to Corinthians and I was not there when that contract was signed so Mr. Reindorf should not assume that I might have seen it," Col Asiamah added.

The Commission, however, made it clear that whether any contract was signed or not, Article 31of the GFA regulations stipulates that Gag Roos are expected to pay Corinthians some form of compensation.

According to Mr. Opare Addo, Feyenoord have expressed the desire to pay Corinthians a token, since Allotey played for that club before he joined Gag Roos but did not state how much.

GRi

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Accra (Greater Accra), 6^th November 99

A team of 18 players and six officials of Ghana’s Under – 17 football team, the Black Starlets, left Accra on Thursday for New Zealand with a mission to annex the world juvenile trophy which eluded them in 1997 in Egypt.

The competition is scheduled to start from 10^th November and end on 27^th November.

Playmaker, Fatau Barnes who coach Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, Starlets headcoach described, as the "engine of the team" is however missing from the squad due to an injury he sustained in an invitational match against the U.S.

Tipped by football analysts to lift the cup this year, each of the 'twinkle twinkle' little stars promised before departure to play their hearts out at the tournament to make the prediction a reality.

Should Ghana win the competition, they have the world cup for keeps after winning it in 1991 and 1995.

GRi brings to you the final list of the team.

The officials accompanying the team are Mr. K. Bram Larbie (head of delegation), Cecil Jones Attuquayefio(head coach), James Kuuku Dadzie(Assistant coach), Mr. Kojo Quarshie and Seidu Younan, officials. Dr Frank Appiagyei is the team’s physiotherapist.

GRi

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