The man at the centre of former president of the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) $100,000 bribe allegation, lawyer Kwame Gyan, has rebuffed that he collected money from Kwesi Nyantakyi to be given to investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Lawyer Kwame Gyan, a lecturer at Legon, in a telephone interview on Tuesday said, “I never collected $100,000” from neither Kwesi Nyantakyi nor any one in connection with the Number 12 expose’.
Nyantakyi in an interview on Onua TV on Tuesday alleged that Anas’ lawyers demanded $150,000 from him (Nyantakyi) to kill the story, which he paid $100,000. But the lawyers told him the $100, 000 was inadequate and went ahead to air the video.
“Before the video was released, a former colleague at the GFA Exco, Adam Munkaila, took me to Anas’ lawyers, a certain Kwame Gyan, a lecturer at Legon. I met him at his residence around Westland and he told me Anas was his student and had informed him he needed $150,000 to kill the story.
“I had never been to his house before. I gave them $100,000, but they told me the amount was inadequate and later went ahead to release the video,” he said in an interview with Captain Smart, the host.
“After the video came out, I asked for a refund and even the refund was done in pieces. Today, they would bring $20,000, and the next day another $10,000. They were giving me stories, but eventually I got everything back,” he said.
However, Tiger Eye P.I. and Anas Aremeyaw Anas aside categorically denying any involvement in soliciting or accepting bribes from Kwesi Nyantakyi, has disclosed that neither Tiger Eye P.I. nor Anas Aremeyaw Anas engaged the services of a lawyer named Kwame Gyan from the University of Ghana.
“At all material times, including before, during, and after the production of the Number12 documentary, Tiger Eye and Anas have exclusively retained the legal representation of CromwellGray LLP, situated in Cantonments, Accra. CromwellGray LLP has consistently acted as legal counsel for Anas in matters relating to litigation initiated by or against journalistic publications involving Anas,” Tiger Eye stated in a press release yesterday.
Mr. Nyantakyi, by his admission, Tiger Eye said in a statement on Tuesday, is a self-confessed bribe-giver, and a bribe-taker for attempting to bribe his way out of a painstaking investigation into his conduct. “Per his self-confessed bribery attempt, Mr. Nyantakyi has proven that the life-ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for conflict of interest and bribery offences provided for by FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE) was justified”.
Tiger Eye P.I. also asserted that any purported criminal arrangement between Mr. Nyantakyi and any alleged lawyer remains solely between Mr. Nyantakyi and the purported recipient. Tiger Eye P.I. firmly denied any involvement or knowledge of such activities, and that “Should Mr. Nyantakyi’s claims hold substance, we challenge him to pursue legal action against Lawyer Kwame Gyan, including lodging a petition with the General Legal Council, to substantiate his allegations.”