Afriyie-Ankrah reacts to White Paper on Dzamefe Commission report

daniel russell

June 14, 2015 3:58 PM

According to Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah who was the Youth and Sports Minister during the World Cup period, he rendered full accounts of his “stewardship to the relevant authorities with respect to both the funds allocated to the team by government and the funds which I together with my team solicited through an innovative corporate sponsorship drive.”

A Minister of State at the Presidency, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has denied embezzling or misappropriating funds meant for Ghana’s participation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

In a statement reacting to Government's White Paper on the report by the Dzamefe-led Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah said he was innocent.

The white paper among other things directed that the former Youth and Sports Minister should be surcharged if further investigations reveal he misappropriated funds. “Any misappropriation or misapplication of the funds given by GNPC to Evolution International on behalf of the Ministry of Youth and Sports should be refunded by Evolution International or surcharged to the former Minister for Youth and Sports (Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah).”

He however insists that he is innocent. He expressed his readiness to assist any institution tasked to conduct further investigations.

Below is Elvis Afriyie Ankrah’s full statement:

STATEMENT BY HON. ELVIS AFRIYIE-ANKRAH, ON THE RELEASE OF THE GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON THE REPORT OF THE WORLD CUP COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

I have taken notice of the Government’s White Paper on the report of the Commission of Inquiry into matters relating to the participation of the Black Stars Team in the World Cup tournament in Brazil 2014 and I wish to make some brief remarks.

I wish reiterate my long-standing and unambiguous position, for the avoidance of all doubts, that, I NEVER and DID NOT engage in any act of embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds in and outside the Brazil World Cup saga.

I rendered full accounts of my stewardship to the relevant authorities with respect to both the funds allocated to the team by government and the funds which I together with my team solicited through an innovative corporate sponsorship drive.

In the coming days, I expect to get a copy of the full report of the Justice Dzamefe-led Commission of Inquiry which was submitted to the Government in March.

My legal team and I shall study it thoroughly and carefully together with the White Paper, after which I will make a full statement, where need be, on the Commission’s recommendations and the White Paper.

I am ready to cooperate with the relevant authorities on any other consequential matters arising from the report and the White Paper, just as I did with the Commission of Inquiry.

HON. ELVIS AFRIYIE-ANKRAH

(Minister of State at the Presidency)

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daniel russell