Chairman, CEO, other club officials of Ashantigold handed bans after being found guilty of match manipulation
Chairman and bankroller of Ghana Premier League side, Ashantigold, Dr. Kwaku Frimpong, also known as Champion, has been handed a 10-year ban from all football related activities and fined GHS 100,000 for his involvement in match manipulation.
The Ghana Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee decision relates to a Ghana Premier League game played at the end of the 2020/2021 season when Ashantigold beat Inter Allies by 7-0.
“Dr.Kwaku Frimpong, President of Ashantigold SC was charged for breaching Article 27(1)(2) of the GFA Code of Ethics 2019; Article 18(1) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, 2019, and Article34(5)(a)(b) of the GFA Premier League Regulations2019,” the verdict read.
An Inter Allies player, Hashmin Musah, scored two own goals and later admitted his action was to spoil a bet placed on the said game.
The prosecution found that Dr. Kwaku Frimpong had collaborated with one Nii Amoah, an official of Inter Allies to fix the game for a correct scoreline of 5-1.
In return, Frimpong paid Nii Amoah GHS 10,000, based on mobile money records obtained by the prosecution.
Read: Ghana Premier League Club Ashantigold demoted to Division Two for match manipulation
Frimpong’s ban is part of the wider ruling from the GFA’s Disciplinary Committee, which also demoted Ashantigold to Ghana’s Division Two, and banned the club’s head coach and several other players for various years.
Chief Executive Officer and son to Dr Kwaku Frimpong, Emmanuel Frimpong was also handed an eight-year ban by the Ghana Football Association Disciplinary Committee after being found guilty of engaging in match fixing.
In the verdict released by the Ghana FA on Monday via thier official website, there were indicators that there was a strong evidence of the AshantiGold CEO’s involvement in the match-fixing game against Inter Allies in week 37 fixture of the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League where the former won 7-0.
“There is a strong evidence of match fixing between Emmanuel Frimpong and Noo Amoah Gogo, an official of Inter Allies”, the statement read.
“That the Chief Executive Officer of AshantiGold SC Emmanuel Frimpong is banned from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of 96 months in accordance with Article 34.5 (d)(I) of the Ghana Premier League Regulations 2019.
“A fine of GHS 50,000 has been imposed on the Chief Executive Officer of AshantiGold”.
The Ghana FA has been under immense pressure to provide the ruling on the match fixing allegations that rocked the Ghana Premier League in July 2021 after the Disciplinary Committee had hinted that AshantiGold will suffer punishment after if found guilty of match-manipulation.
