Kwesi Nyantakyi Shares Heartbreaking Question Daughter Asked After GFA Exposé: “Are You a Thief?”
- Kwesi Nyantakyi has reflected on the reputational damage from Anas Aremeyaw's football corruption exposé and its impact on his family
- The release of the exposé in 2018 led to Nyantakyi's resignation from his role as President of the Ghana Football Association
- Despite admitting to ethical breaches, Nyantakyi maintains his innocence in public regarding allegations of bribery to suppress the story
Disgraced former Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi opened up on the personal and professional impact of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw’s exposé on his life after corruption at the association.
He told Joy TV the damage to his reputation was irreparable.
Source: Facebook
In the interview, Nyantakyi still suggested that he was wronged in the exposé, in which he was caught on camera receiving money from an undercover reporter who posed as a businessman to allegedly leverage his connections with then-President Akufo-Addo.
“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."
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 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.
What happened to Nyantakyi after the exposé?
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.
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.
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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 in 2024.
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.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
