Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Kwesi Nyantakyi, has revealed that he paid Anas Aremeyaw Anas a sum of $100,000 to kill his number 12 exposé.
Nyantakyi alleged that the investigative journalist, through his lawyers, had demanded $150,000 to drop the documentary.
Although he could not directly link the demand to Anas, he said the journalist’s lawyers returned to tell him that his payment wasn’t enough after he paid them $100,000.
He added that, when Anas went on to premiere the documentary, he demanded a refund and had the full amount returned to him, albeit in instalments.
“Before the video was released, his lawyers reached out to me through a certain Kwame Gyan, a lecturer at Legon. I met him at his residence around Westland and gave them the money,” Nyantakyi told Onua TV, as quoted by Joy Sports.
“But they told me the amount was inadequate and later went ahead to release the video. After the video came out, I asked for a refund and even the refund was done in pieces.
”Today, they would bring $20,000, the next day another $10,000. They were giving me stories, but eventually I got everything back.”
It will be recalled that, in 2018, Nyantakyi was captured in Anas’ ‘Number 12’ exposé allegedly taking cash gifts and peddling influence.
This led to him resigning as GFA President, as well as losing his positions as FIFA Council Member and 1st Vice President of CAF.
Nyantakyi was subsequently handed a lifetime ban and fined 500,000 Swiss Francs by FIFA in the aftermath of the exposé.
He was also charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, and corruption by a public officer, but was later granted bail with some sureties.
Although his lifetime ban was subsequently reduced to 15 years following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Nyantakyi’s reputation took a major hit.