Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ashanti Gold, Albert Commey, says he wasn't in the right frame of mind when he made the match fixing allegations and has rendered an unqualified apology to the affected clubs.
The former Executive Committee member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) alleged that Hearts of Oak vs Real Tamale United, King Faisal vs Legon Cities, Bibiani Gold Stars vs Ashanti Gold and Eleven Wonders vs Aduana Stars were all fixed matches on Space FM in Sunyani.
Hearts of Oak, Ashanti Gold, Bibiani Gold Stars, Aduana Stars have all come all to deny the allegations and asked for Albert Commey to retract the claims.
Subsequently, GFA have summoned Albert Commey to the Ethics Committee to help investigate the allegations.
Albert Commey apologises to the affected clubs for his 'unpleasant statements' which has affected their image.
"I have realized that the interview granted to an Fm station in Sunyani recently has generated a lot of controversy among the football fraternity, especially the clubs whose names I mentioned in the said interview.
His retraction statement read: "My intention for granting that interview was to contribute to the discourse of alleged match-fixing in the Ghana Premier League and the serious effects it causes to the football industry.
"Unfortunately, in doing so, I made sweeping statements which affected the sporting integrity of some clubs and some matches of the just-ended Premier League. I wish to say that in my attempt to forcefully relay my personal opinion about the wrongful impact of alleged match-fixing in the League, I rather made vexatious statements that some clubs have not been happy about.
“I wish to render an unqualified apology to the clubs whose names I mentioned in the interview and to say that I did not intend to tarnish their image or bring them into public ridicule.
“I also apologize unreservedly to the Ghana Football Association for making such unpleasant comments and hereby retract anything I said in the interview.
“I must admit that I have been unwell for the past three months and should have declined the interview because I was not in the right frame of mind to make dispassionate comments which I am known for.
“I deeply regret every word spewed out in the said interview and hereby render my sincerest apologies to whoever has been affected by my comments including the sporting public," it ended.
By: Abdul Razak Salim
