Speaking on the AM Show, Nyantakyi reflected on the fallout from the 2018 “Number 12” undercover investigation, which exposed widespread corruption in Ghanaian football and led to his lifetime ban from football administration by the GFA Ethics Committee.

“The damage is irreparable, but I don’t have anything against him. He should relax. If his conscience is battling with him, it’s between him and God,” Nyantakyi said.

The former football chief also revealed the emotional strain the exposé placed on his family, recounting an incident involving his nine-year-old daughter.

“My daughter was in GIS at that time, and she asked me, ‘Daddy, is it true that you are a thief?’ I said, how are you to know from this funny question? She said she heard it on the radio. Imagine a judgment by your own daughter that you heard you are a thief,” Nyantakyi told the show.

He added that the exposé damaged his reputation and disrupted opportunities in both professional and personal spheres.

“The condescending posture of some people towards you…They see you as a condemned criminal. The aura of respectability around you is broken. It was very damning,” he noted.

Nyantakyi also expressed gratitude to friends who supported him through the personal turmoil following the scandal, highlighting the significant social and psychological consequences of the public revelations.

The “Number 12” investigation, which aired in 2018, shook Ghanaian football to its core, exposing officials soliciting bribes and influencing refereeing decisions, leading to sweeping reforms in the GFA and the banning of several officials.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed an order from the Accra High Court for the investigative journalist to testify in camera against the former GFA boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi for his documentary dubbed ‘Number 12’.

Presided over by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, the Judge granted an application for certiorari filed by Kwesi Nyantakyi quashing the order of High Court 2, Criminal Division, Accra granting a dispensation to Anas Aremeyaw Anas to testify in camera as a prosecution witness in the criminal case entitled Republic v Kwesi Nyantakyi & Another.

It may be recalled that in March 2022, during Case Management Conference, the High Court 2, criminal division presided over by her ladyship Elfreda Dankyi peremptorily granted an ORAL application by the prosecution for Anas Aremeyaw Anas to give evidence in camera as a prosecution witness in the case of Republic v Kwesi Nyantakyi and Another.

Dissatisfied with the said decision of the High Court, Mr Nyantakyi through lead counsel, Thaddeus Sory of Sory@Law, applied to the Supreme Court for an order of certiorari to quash the dispensation given to Anas Aremeyaw Anas by the High Court.

The application was premised on three grounds; that the order of the High Court offended the human rights of the applicant as guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, that the order was made without regard to the procedures and rules of court which required that a formal and not an oral application be made in such circumstances; and the order of the court was made in excess of jurisdiction of the court.

The Supreme Court upheld the application and quashed the order of the High Court as having been made without the requisite legal basis.

Sannie, who was alleged to have received a monetary gift to influence the inclusion of former Hearts of Oak skipper Thomas Abbey into the national team, Black Stars, has been acquitted of wrongdoing.

The GFA has been directed to re-engage the former BBC sports journalist by the Ghana Labour laws.

According to the GFA’s statement, the Ethics Committee found that there was “insufficient evidence to support the allegation of acts of bribery and corruption on the part of Mr. Ibrahim Sannie Daara.”

He was recorded in a video undertaken by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye team in June 2018.

In the widely circulated video, the CAF Media expert declined receipts from supposed agents of Thomas Abbey who wanted the then Hearts player invited to the Black Stars.

However, the commentary and transcripts of the video suggested that he directed the agents to give the money to his aide and later went for it.

Sannie sued Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Tiger Eye PI, for defamation and the invasion of privacy.

He asked the court to order Anas to pay him an amount of GHc20 million for damages the video caused him.

After nearly four years since the exposé, the GFA’s Ethics Committee has ordered that Sannie Daara is re-engaged based on the country’s labour laws after appearing before the committee via video calls on three occasions.

Two years since Tiger Eye PI premiered videos that showed officials of Ghana Football Association (GFA) in compromising positions.

Two years since the world was let into the behind-the-scenes activities of the Ghana FA officials. And, three months, two days since Attorney General charged former GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi for conspiracy to commit crime namely fraud by an agent contrary to sections 23(1) and 145(1)(a) of the criminal offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

He has also been charged with corruption by a public officer contrary to section 239(1) of the Criminal offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The former FIFA Executive Council member and Abdulai Alhassan, the GFA Executive Council member who Tiger Eye PI contacted all pleaded not guilty to the charges at Criminal Court 4 of the Accra High Court.

Two subsequent appearances have yielded no sitting on the case.

On March 25, 2020 the prosecutor, Mrs Victoria Asieduaa, a principal State Attorney, pleaded with Justice Comfort Kwasiwor Tasiame, the judge sitting on the case for two weeks to “gather facts” on the matter.

The judge adjourned hearing to April 28, because the two weeks window upon calculation, would have been within the Easter period.

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On April 28, there was no sitting on the day because of COVID-19, though Mr Nyantakyi and his lawyers were in court. They were, however, told sitting had been scheduled for May 11.

However, before May 11, a letter from the Attorney General signed by the principal state attorney three days earlier, May 8, requested for a ‘long adjournment’ after consultation with lawyers of the accused persons.

Other key details

In the court documents related to the case, meetings held in Ghana were not captured in the transcriptions, but only those that transpired in Dubai were, Joy Sports gathered.

These meetings were on October 7 and 12, 2017 respectively.

Mr Nyantakyi is described as A1 (first accused), whilst Abdulai Alhassan has been named A2 (second accused). Pages of the document have been numbered from B1 to B213.

It would be recalled that Mr Nyantakyi in his statement after the exposé revealed that the $65,000 bribe he is accused of taking was actually a $40,000 refund for his flight tickets for the said Dubai meetings.

Tiger Eye PI discredited his claims, but only published invoices, rather than receipts, as evidence of tickets purchased for the accused persons.

In the particular case of Mr Alhassan, former Northen Regional Football Association Chairman, Tiger Eye PI published a flight itinerary for the trips.

As part of the court documentation, Tiger Eye PI provided no receipts or travel itineraries for Mr Nyantakyi – this appears to corroborate the claim of Mr Nyantakyi.

In the transcription of the conversation between Mr Nyantakyi and the late Ahmed Hussein Suale, which took place at Taj Hotel in Dubai on 7th October, 2017, and is captured on pages B27, B28, B29, and B30, it is suggested that Tiger Eye Pi and the late Suale, who spearheaded the investigations, did not know the flight schedules of Mr Nyantakyi to and from Dubai.

On page B29 as sighted by Joy Sports, the conversation is transcribed as follows:

Tiger Eye: Oh yes it’s time. And in fact (it’s) because I didn’t know your flight arrangements otherwise I could have also communicated same. Maybe, he could have wait [sic] here no matter what the situation. I’m sure he would have waited to have this meeting before he leave [sic].

On page B27, the conversation is captured as follows:

Nyantakyi: The Minister would be there but I’ll leave tomorrow morning.

Tiger: Tomorrow morning?

Nyantakyi: My flight is 9:30.

Tiger: And then…?

Nyantakyi : By 7:30 I should be at the airport.

Tiger: Ehh?

Joy Sports understands, per the facts assembled, the actual meeting for the first meeting did not take place.

Mr Nyantakyi, a former CAF First Vice President, was told Skeikh Al-Thani (who he had made to believe he was to meet in Dubai for meetings) had a flu. The meeting was postponed indefinitely.

Checks revealed that, a second meeting took place in Dubai on 12th October 2017 following a request from Tiger Eye PI.

Mr Nyantakyi arrived in Dubai around 3am on board an Egyptair flight from Cairo and was met on arrival by Alhassan and Suale.

Two meetings were held on this day: one at the Al-Ghurair Hotel, where a conversation on sponsorship of the GFA and investment opportunities in Ghana ensued. This meeting had only Mr Nyantakyi, late Suale, Alhassan and one Mohammed, reportedly a friend of late Suale.

After this meeting, they proceeded to Jood Palace Hotel where Sheikh Al-Thani was present. The meeting lasted thirty minutes.

During this meeting, conversations on potential sponsorship agreements were discussed. Ahmed Suale acted as the Sheikh’s interpreter.

Two years after the video aired and shook the nation, the courts are still not closer to a decision now than at when they began hearings. Joy Sports will continue following proceedings.

The ‘Number 12’ documentary brought football activities in the country to a standstill.

Top football administrator and top member of the FA’s hierarchy were exposed in the documentary.

Speaking on the Ultimate Sports Show on Asempa FM, Mrs Akorfa Startimes was willing to construct the pitches in fulfilment of their part of the contract the had with the erstwhile FA until the ‘Number 12’ video.  

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“After the first year of the deal, ‘Number 12’ was aired and football activities were halted.

“The Ghana FA was supposed to give us lands for the construction of the astroturf pitches.

“I am aware they gave us a place to begin the construction of one of the pitches but things couldn’t come together properly.

“We have signed a new deal with the FA so we are now obliged to fulfil our part of the new deal but the construction of the pitches now does not exist,” she added.

StarTimes Ghana signed a ten-year deal with the Ghana Football Association under the Kwesi Nyantakyi’s administration.

The contract at the time obliged the pay-per-view television outfit to construct ten astroturf pitches across the regions in a deal that was worth $17.9m.