Ankrah�s Evidence Contradicted Again

The Chief Executive Officer of African Origin Travels and Sports Tourism (AOT&ST), Samson Deen, has told the Commission of Inquiry into the Brazil 2014 fiasco, that his firm was never asked by the World Cup Committee to pre-finance the contract. Samson Deen insisted: �As far as I am concerned, there was no day, I was asked to pre-finance,� This is contrary to the earlier submissions made by the Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah. Mr. Deen, who appeared before the commission, chaired by Justice Senyo Dzamefe yesterday, noted that he could have raised a loan if the Ministry of Youth and Sports had asked him to pre-finance the project, but he was never asked to do so. According to him, he was made to understand that, the World Cup committee had deposited an amount of GH�2.9m into an account of an agent (Travel Matters) to charter a flight to airlift all the supporters allocated to the three travel and tour agencies. He contended that he did not deal with any of the agencies that were involved in airlifting the supporters, apart from the ministry itself. He said his slot for airlifting the 612 supporters was 270, a task he perfectly executed. When asked whether at a point in time the three travel and tour operators � Kenpong, Travel Matters and African Origin Travels & Sports Tourism were asked to work together (to form a consortium), Mr. Deen answered in the negative. Mr. Deen claimed the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) owed him and, therefore, prayed the Commission to compel the ministry to pay him an amount of $108,000. He explained that, the amount represented $400 profit margin on each of the 270 supporters allocated to him, to be air-lifted to Brazil, to support the Black Stars. Deen also said MOYS has to pay him additional GH�59, 722.74 covering the cost of tickets for 217 fans at the unit cost of GH�275.22. In addition, Deen asked the Commission to compel MOYS to pay for loss of profits due to delays in making the payments on agreed times, as well as loss of time and business and legal fees. He stated that, the difficulties, frustrations, stress, avoidable waste and near disgrace that characterized the organization were largely self-inflicted and needless. Enter the Chairman of the Commission, who sought to find out from the witness, persons he claimed the said GH�59, 722.74 covering the cost of tickets for 217 fans at a unit cost of GH�275.22, since Ministry of Youth and Sports never asked him to secure tickets for them. Deen answered that, initially he was communicating with members of the committee since the deadline for sales of ticket was drawing closer, however, he did not confirm with the committee when he was going to deposit the money into the GFA account, for the purchase of the tickets. Justice Dzamefe then told him that he took a risk and lost. In another development, the Commission also cautioned members of the media to be careful with their reportage. According to Mr. Foh Amoning, the Constitutional Instrument (CI65) which backs the Commission has given it the powers of a High Court and, therefore, can cite anyone for contempt. Mr. Moses Foh Amoaning was reacting to some media reportage that the Commission had no such powers.