Former club chairman admits player was transferred $600,000 & not $250,000
Kotoko coach cools off in Police cells as team leaves for Hamburg
Former club chairman admits player was transferred $600,000 & not $250,000
Accra (Greater Accra), 27th October 99
Mr. R.O. Solomon, counsel for Mr. George Aduse-Poku (a.k.a Georgido) yesterday told the Player Transfer Commission that Rosenborg F/C paid 600,000 dollars to Kumasi Asante Kotoko as transfer fees in 1997 but not 250,000 dollars as previously stated by his client.
He said his client made this known to him before leaving on a business trip overseas a few weeks ago and pleaded with the Commission to await his return before revisiting the issue.
In a related development, Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, former Accra representative of Kumasi Asante Kotoko said he took $ 26,000 as ‘thank you’ for his role in Boateng’s transfer.
He said Mr. Wilgot Anderson whom he (Agyapong) introduced to Kotoko as an agent offered him the amount in appreciation of the assistance that he gave which ensured the release of the player by his former club.
In an earlier appearance, Mr. Agyapong chose to disclose the amount only to the Commission when he wrote it on a sheet of paper and handed it to its chairman, Mr. Sule Gbadegbe. He was advised to make it public since his conduct had resulted in speculations that the amount he took was three times what was disclosed.
Mr. Agyapong also tendered in the contract involving the three parties to the Commission.
Total contract sum under the agreement was 690,000 dollars out of which Boateng was entitled to 90,000 dollars with the rest as Kotoko’s share.
A document tendered in by Mr. Agyapong stated that the player was also to receive 60,000 Norweigian Kroners (close to 10,000 dollars) in monthly salary.
He further informed the Commission that Boateng was made aware of the agent taking ten per cent of his salary.
Mr. George Agyekum counsel for Robert Boateng, submitted to the Probe a document which pegged the signing on fee at 190,000 dollars instead of 81,000 dollars which Boateng was receiving.
Boateng, he said was also being given 30,000 Kroners a month instead of the stipulated contract amount.
A document tendered in by Mr. Agyekum indicated that Mr. Anderson was to be in charge of all contractual agreements involving Robert Boateng of which the player is said to have refused to append his signature.
The player, who was present at the sitting denied ever signing any document bearing the new salary which he took and maintained that the document which spelt out his real salary was not made available to him nor did he know of the amount before his departure from the country.
In a cross-examination by Mr. Agyekum, Mr. Agyapong said the tax system in Norway might have accounted for the difference in the player’s signing on amount which he had.
He denied knowledge of the 190,000 dollars signing-on fee quoted in Mr. Ayekum’s submission.
Mr. Dominico Ricci who appeared for Africa Football Management (AFM), a management organisation for African players abroad, said his company has sports development in the country at heart and has opened a website in Europe which monitors the performances of Ghanaian players abroad.
This he said helps in invitations for national assignments, which are tied to current performance.
He said foreign clubs who are interested in Ghanaian players do contact AFM for assistance and his body normally sits in negotiations to safeguard the interests of all parties.
AFM, Mr. Ricci said he has enjoyed good relations with the Ghana Football Association.
The FIFA licensed soccer management company has been in existence since 1991 and manages over 35 Ghanaian professionals abroad including Samuel Osei Kuffour. Stephen Appiah and Yaw Preko.
GRi
Kotoko coach cools off in Police cells as team leaves for Hamburg
Kumasi (Ashanti) 27th October 99
Kumasi Asante Kotoko left Accra for Hamburg, Germany on Monday minus head coach Aboubakar Ouattara who was picked on Sunday evening by the police.
Ouattara, signed on by Kotoko at the end of the first round matches in the just ended league, is charged for defrauding two people under the pretext of sending them to Germany on Kotoko’s trip.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and Tribunal chairman, Mr. Joseph Abanga, remanded him in custody for a week.
According to Chief Inspector Fabian K. Afesi, Ouattara promised one Akwasi Fosu 28, a ball boy of the club and Emmanuel Agyeman 20, former student of Adisadel College who is an ardent supporter of the club, to include them in Kotoko’s squad for Hamburg at a fee of 2,000 dollars each.
Ouattara is said to have promised to finish with the documentation for the trip within two weeks of taking the money but could not honour his promise and resorted to playing hide and seek with the boys after receiving it.
With the departure date of Kotoko drawing near and sensing that they were not part of the squad, the victims reported the matter to the Kumasi Police Buffalo Unit who arrested coach.
Mr. A.A Amankwah, counsel for the accused admitted that his client has collected the amount but said under an undertaking made between Ouattara and the complainants, the accused was to return from the training tour of Kotoko before addressing the issue of the complainants trip abroad.
Mr. Amankwah tendered the undertaking as evidence in court but the Tribunal chairman rejected it and remanded the accused in custody stating multiple fraud cases against him.
Speculations are rife in Kumasi that the Kotoko head coach would be put on ice on arrival of the club from Hamburg in the wake of the embarrassment that he has caused the team.
GRi…/