Sports News of Friday, 29 August 2014

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

2014 WC coordinator accused of conflict of interest

A case of a conflict of interest appear to have been established between Fred Darko, Project Coordinator for Ghana’s participation at the 2014 World Cup and his company Evolution International.

Darko was appointed by the Sports Ministry to help raise funds from corporate bodies to sponsor Ghanaian fans to Brazil to cheer the Black Stars on at the 2014 World Cup.

The Ministry’s drive to raise funds was however frustrated by competition from private firms who also looked to cash in on the great marketing prospect of the 2014 World Cup.

One of such private firms in competition with the Sports Ministry’s drive was Evolution International whose Managing Director is Fred Darko, the man put in charge of all the Ministry’s efforts to raise the needed funds.

“My Lord, my company did activation for some corporate bodies during the 2014 World Cup,” Fred Darko told the 2014 World Cup Commission of Enquiry on Thursday.

“We (Evolution) have been doing so for firms like GNPC in the past even before I was appointed Project Coordinator and I made this known to the Minister [Elvis Afriyie Ankrah].”

Darko’s revelation appeared to have startled the chair of the Commission Justice Senyo Dzamefe who responded: “Now the cat has been let out of the bag.

“When I asked you what was the catch for leaving your job to come and earn GHS100 per meeting with the Sports Ministry you only said ‘it was a new territory and was an opportunity for you.

“I don’t want us to go further into this issue because it wouldn’t be palatable for you at all so we will leave it at that.”