Soccer News of Monday, 19 January 2009

Source: Ghanasoccernet

New government investigates GFA

The new government in Ghana will on Monday open a thorough investigation into the country's financing of its maiden World Cup appearance in 2006.

There is a long-held suspicion especially by the government-backed newspaper Graphic Sports that something untoward by the hierarchy of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) occurred.

Even though the GFA's World Cup accounts were audited, approved and presented to parliament two years ago, the GFA bosses were summoned before the new government's transition committee on Friday.

The GFA chiefs were stunned when they were asked about the World Cup accounts as they not prompted that they would be asked to account for the country's expenses during the tournament in Germany.

The Kwasi Nyantakyi-led board will reappear before the transition committee on Monday to present the document already approved by parliament.

"We will return before the committee on Monday to present the documents which have already been audited and approved by parliament," GFA spokesman Randy Abbey said.

"We were not told in advance that we will be asked about the accounts for the World Cup and we couldn’t have taken the piles of documents to the committee.

"Indeed this is a good opportunity to clear this issue up once and for all and we will appear on Monday for all to see."

Apart from government's financing of the tournament, Fifa also paid some monies to the Ghana Football Association for reaching the second round of the tournament.