The Presidential Commission set up to investigate Ghana’s stained world Cup participation has no power to demand full disbursement of World Cup prize money to government, the Ghana Football Association has said.
The FA in a letter signed by Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Gyima and intercepted by Joy Sports said the Commission had exceeded its powers by asking the FA to disburse the entire eight million dollars World Cup prize money to government instead of the original amount of four million agreed.
The FA entered into an agreement with government to pre-finance the cost of Ghana’s World Cup participation with a promise to pay back when they receive the World Cup Prize money.
In line with that agreement, the FA returned an amount of $4,003,761.08 to government upon receipt of the prize money.
However, the World Cup Commission issued a directive to the FA through the Sports Ministry demanding that the entire amount of $8 million be paid to government instead of $4 million.
The FA has responded and with no ambiguities it states the Commission has no authority to make any such requests.
While admitting that the Commission has the powers of a High Court, the FA says those powers are limited to “enforcing attendance of witness before it or compelling the production of documents to it and issuing Commissions or requesting the examination of witnesses abroad.”
“The specific powers of the Commission, constitutionally provided for cannot metamorphose or be amplified as and when expedient for which reason the Commission completely lacks power and authority to make any enforceable orders final or interlocutory, even if such matters were within its terms of reference,” the letter read.
The FA said the only agreement it has on the issue of the prize money is with government adding, “the Commission has no power to abrogate or revise and especially that government itself, has not communicated to the football association its decision to rescile from its agreement with the football on any grounds upon which a contracting party may legitimately and validly exercise its right of rescission from the contract.”
The letter again stated that the Commission can only play an advisory role and cannot arrogate onto itself powers to “make orders on already existing financial agreements government has reached with the football association.”
The FA maintains it is law abiding and would respect to the fullest the laws of the country which also formed the basis upon which the Commission was constituted.
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