Posted On Monday, 5th August 2013
Retired referee Charles Dowouna defends Ghanaian referees
Charles Dowouna says Ghanaian referees do not take bribes but only receive gifts for doing a professional job.
The CAF referee instructor was responding to claims that Ghanaian referees are corrupt.
There have been several reports of acts of corruption by referees on the local scene with one sharp example being the apprehension of referee Musah Yahaya who had cash perceived to be a bribe stacked in his socks in a lower division game.
This has fuelled widespread perceptions that referees all over Ghana are easy targets for compromise with money serving as the main bargaining chip.
But the former FIFA referee Dowouna in a desperate attempt to put up a defence has dismissed these perceptions – saying diligent referees are only rewarded with gifts and not bribes.
“No referee takes bribe but it is only nice for people to appreciate your work,” he told Metro FM.
“And therefore after doing a diligent job, if people in appreciation of your work give you something (money) for maybe transportation does that mean the referee has taken bribe?”