Kotoko: Blame Kwame Kyei for huge financial losses – Edmund Ackah

Former Asante Kotoko management member, Edmund Ackah says Executive Chairman Dr. Kwame Kyei is solely responsible for the current debts swallowing the club.

The Dr. Kwame Kyei-led administration has come under immense pressure due to the numerous judgement debts that have hit the club.

Kotoko were ordered by the Ghana Football Association to pay an amount of $ 34,000 for wrongfully dismissing coach C.K Akonnor. The Ghanaian giants again paid his successor Kjetil Zacherriasen $ 12,425 as severance package for terminating his contract.

The situation worsened when on Friday, April 10, Fifa ordered Asante Kotoko to pay Esperance of Tunisia, $240,000 following the transfer of striker Emmanuel Clottey to them. 

According to the release by Fifa, Kotoko had been ordered to pay the Tunisian club $180,000 for the transfer of the player, an additional $45,000 as interest on the figure. 

In addition, Kotoko would pay the committee that sat on the case between the two sides over the transfer of the player $15,000, bringing the total figure to $240,000.

Ackah – who resigned from his position as Accra Representative of the club last month – claims that, nobody, but Dr. Kwame Kyei should be blamed for the recent financial losses.

“If Dr [Kwame Kyei] had shown leadership, the Clottey debt wouldn’t have hit $240,000.
“In August 2019, Esperance wrote to Kotoko giving us their account details to pay them $30,000 because we owe them $180,000 and they also owe us $150,000 [from Kwame Bonsu transfer] but the Chairman said he will not pay because he didn’t sign Emmanuel Clottey,” Ackah told Oyerepa FM.

He continued: “If he had acted as a leader and listened to his management which supposedly is to run the day-to-day affairs of the club, a these recent debts wouldn’t have been incurred…

“If only he understood that football is governed by regulations… At a certain point in time, when something crops up and you refer to the regulations, he rubbishes it.

“Nobody should blame anybody for the Financial losses, he’s the problem not anybody.

“Nobody is causing financial loss to Kotoko but the Executive Chairman himself [Dr Kwame Kyei]. He single handedly contacted Zachariassen, lodged him at a hotel at East Legon before handing him over to George Amoako and Nana Kwame Dankwah.

“Even on CK Akonnor’s issue, he insulted us (management) after seeking our opinion which was contrary to his. After agreeing with CK to pay him off at GHc50,000, Dr Kwame Kyei said he will only pay GHc20,000 and now Kotoko have to pay over billion. Whose fault is it?.”

Kotoko toko have up to May 10, 2020 to pay Esperance the $ 240,000 else the record Ghana Premier League champions will face Fifa sanctions.

Photo credit via Ghanasoccernet