A Ghanaian whistleblower has petitioned the world football governing body, FIFA, to investigate the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, for alleged multiple breaches of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
The 17-page document is signed by one Akwasi Ossei Nkrumah, who is asking FIFA to temporarily suspend Mr Okraku, while investigations are conducted into the alleged infractions.
The petition contends that Mr Okraku has breached five articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics 2022 bordering on forgery and falsification (Article 25), conflicts of interest (Article 20), abuse of position (Article 26), duty of loyalty (Article 16) and manipulation of football matches (Article 30).
On the issue of forgery, Kurt Okraku’s name on his passport is Edwin Simeon-Okraku, but in some other official documents, he goes by Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku and has introduced himself as same on many occasions. The petition, however, does not establish the injury the ‘triple identification’ has caused in this case.
The petition goes on to claim that the GFA Code of Ethics 2019, should be rendered invalid because it was signed by Mr. Kurt E.S Okraku, which is different from the two other names he goes by, that is, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku and Edwin Simeon-Okraku.
On the issue of conflict of interest, the petitioner puts together a list of 24 people he claims to have some kind of personal relationship with Mr. Okraku, who have been appointed to key positions at the GFA, in clear contravention of the code of ethics. The petitioner mentions the Director of the GFA’s Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence, Winnifred Mawuedeko Okraku, the biological sister of Mr Okraku, among the names submitted.
The petitioner also claims Mr Okraku remains a director at both Dreams FC and Proton Sport per documents acquired from the Registrar General, contrary to the stipulations of the code of ethics.
The document describes the position of the GFA’s Chief of Staff as fictitious and alleges that Michael Osekere, who occupies that role, is running a football agency, Club Consult, alongside Yussif Chibsah, in contravention with the stipulations of the code of ethics.
