Former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi, has described the 2018 investigative exposé “Number 12” by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas as an act of blackmail, insisting that allegations of corruption made against him were never proven in court.
The Number 12 investigation uncovered widespread corruption in Ghanaian football, including allegations of bribery and match-fixing involving referees, football officials and administrators. Mr Nyantakyi, who was serving as GFA president at the time, was prominently implicated but has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Nyantakyi argued that although the journalist claimed to possess evidence of corruption, such evidence was never presented in a court of law. He said this, in his view, amounted to coercion rather than legitimate investigative journalism.
“This was blackmail. If you claim to have evidence of corruption against someone, you should present it in court. You cannot continue to make allegations without substantiating them,” he said.
Mr Nyantakyi also recounted an incident involving payments he said he made to an individual he identified as a friend of Anas. According to him, the money was paid in instalments over a period of time.
“I gave $100,000 in bits and pieces — $10,000 one month, $15,000 another month,” he stated, adding that he has never held public office in Ghana.
He explained that the payments were made at the request of the individual and were not connected to public funds or his role in football administration.
The former GFA president maintained that the accusations against him stemmed from what he described as an attempt at blackmail rather than evidence of proven misconduct.
