Kwesi Nyantakyi Walks Free In Number 12 Exposé Case After Anas Aremeyaw Anas No-Shows In Court

• Former Ghana Football Association boss Kwesi Nyanyakyi has been discharged in the ongoing number 12 corruption trial
• The prosecution in the case was unable to present investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to testify against him
• Anas had reportedly refused to testify against Nyanyakyi in the case without his trademark mask despite a court order

Former Ghana Football Association boss Kwesi Nyanyakyi has been discharged in the ongoing trial over his involvement in the number 12 corruption exposé.

This followed the failure of the prosecution to present Anas Aremeyaw Anas to testify against Nyantakyi. Anas had refused to testify without his trademark mask after a court order.

Nyantakyi was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and corruption after being caught in the Anas' investigative piece.

He was recorded allegedly receiving money from an undercover reporter who posed as a businessman.

Nyantakyi promised to leverage his connections with then-President Akufo-Addo after receiving the money.

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He was also accused of taking bribes to facilitate player selections for national football teams. The trial was delayed over the controversies about Anas' mask.

When the case was called on Thursday, February 13, 2025, state prosecutors requested a month’s adjournment but Nyantakyi's lawyers successfully argued for the court to strike out the charges for want of prosecution.

3News reported that a key factor in the discharge was the Court of Appeal’s ruling on January 30, 2025, which reinforced the principle that an accused person is entitled to a fair trial within a reasonable timeframe.

The ruling is believed to have influenced the High Court’s decision, as five years of legal delays had passed without progress.

The release of a corruption investigation in June 2018 led to Nyantakyi's resignation from his role as President of the Ghana Football Association and his subsequent 15-year ban from FIFA.

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BBC reported that Nyantakyi admitted to having breached several codes of FIFA's ethics when his appeal was heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Following his appeal, the court reduced Nyantakyi's lifetime FIFA ban, external from football, to 15 years while also lowering his fine of $500,000 to $100,000.

Nyantakyi has not admitted any guilt despite admitting to trying to indirectly give money to Anas allegedly to kill the story.

Tiger Eye P.I., Anas’ organisation, dismissed the claim, questioning how an investigation said to be aired by the BBC could be halted by the alleged bribe.

Kwesi Nyantakyi loses NPP primary

YEN.com.gh also previously reported that Nyantakyi lost the New Patriotic Party's parliamentary primary in Ejisu. He polled 35 votes, while the winner, Kwabena Boateng, garnered 394 votes.

The former Ghana Football Association boss, who received treatment for stomach pain at the Legacy Hospital in Asokore Mampong in the Ashanti Region, appeared at the election site looking frail.

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Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh