THE COURT of Appeal has upheld the convictions of nine Hearts of Oak officials charged with defying an injunction restricting transfer activity.

The High Court's original decision followed the transfer of former Hearts midfielder Eugene Addo to Germany in 1999 in defiance of an injunction preventing the club transfering any player pending the outcome of a court case.

On June 23, 1999, the High Court found Hearts guilty of defying the injunction and ordered the club to refund the $US50,000 transfer fee plus a fine of $US269 (2million cedis).

NOW, THE Court of Appeal has dismissed Hearts' appeal against that decision and ordered them to pay the $US50,000, which the club disputes it received, into an interest-paying account held by the court within 28 days.

Additional fines of $US400 (3million cedis) were also awarded against the Accra club, who were represented by Mr Nutsifafa Kuenyehia.

Reading the judgement yesterday, Justice Julius Ansah noted discrepancies in the exact transfer figure as given by Hearts' board secretary Ernest Thompson and chief executive Harry Zakkour.

Thompson told the Ghana FA executive council on July 29, 1999 that the money paid to the club was $US23,000 (DM 51,000), while in an affidavit Zakkour quoted a figure of $US29,882.