General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr. Prosper Harrison Addo, has defended the appointment of Gifty Oware-Mensah as the association’s Second Vice President, stating that there is no official finding of guilt against her.
Madam Oware-Mensah, a well-known member of the GFA’s Executive Council, is slated for the new leadership role following a landmark proposal approved by the GFA Congress.
This move is in line with a FIFA directive requiring every confederation to have at least one female representative at the executive level.
The appointment has, however, drawn criticism due to recent corruption allegations against Ms. Oware-Mensah.
In June 2025, Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine identified her as a central figure in a scheme involving “ghost names,” inflated budgets, and misappropriated funds during her time as the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority.
The Attorney General alleges that she used 9,934 fictitious service personnel to divert millions into private accounts, including GH₵22.9 million to a company she directs.
In response to these concerns, Mr. Harrison Addo stated that the GFA cannot suspend or revoke her appointment because she has not been prosecuted or found guilty of any crime.
He emphasised that the principle of natural justice dictates that every individual is considered innocent until proven guilty.
“Currently, we’ve not received any processes, regulations, or statutes. We’ve not received any information about charge sheets or any court process or conviction. So it’s the same way that parliamentarians are being called to come and answer questions; it’s the same way they’re treating it.
“All those parliamentarians are still going to parliament. And don’t forget, one of our key laws in the country is the presumption of innocence. So I tell people that they have to look at both sides of the coin. Currently, we don’t have anything to take a decision on in light of what people are talking about. Because they are still going through the process, and when our honorable Attorney-General speaks, I listen carefully,” he told Accra based Joy News.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana