The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has put the Ghana FA elections in a balance by ordering the Normalisation Committee to respond to Wilfred Kwaku Osei’s injunction request before proceeding with the polls, Ghanasoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.
Sports’ highest ruling body delivered the verdict on Thursday by instructing the Dr. Kofi Amoah-led committee to respond to Palmer’s claims before Monday 10am Swiss time.
The Switzerland-based body delivered the letter to the Ghana FA on Thursday after the caretaker body refused to hear Palmer’s request for an arbitration over the Normalisation Committee’s decision to disqualify for the Presidential Election race.
This prompted Palmer to report the matter to various bodies within and outside the country and also filed a complaint against the Normalisation Committee at CAS, eliciting the desired response.
Now with CAS stepping into the matter, the Normalisation Committee has no option than to respond immediately.
“The respondent is invited to respond to inform the CAS Court Office within TWO DAYS from the receipt of this letter by courier whether it agrees with the appellant’s request,” CAS wrote on Thursday in a letter addressed to the Acting General Secretary of the Ghana FA Alexander Asante.
“I note that the appellant has applied for provisional measures. In accordance with Article R37 of the code, is Respondent is granted a deadline until Monday 21 October, 2019 10am Swiss time to file its position on the Appellant’s request,” Caroline Fischer, Counsel to the CAS, wrote in the letter to the GFA.
Wilfred Osei, popularly known as Palmer is contesting his ‘unfair’ disqualification from running for the Ghana Football Association President.
The GFA President hopeful had reported the Normalisation Committee to FIFA, CAF, CAS and the Sports Ministry early this week.
Palmer was disqualified from contesting for the position for failing to pay a 10% cut of the sale of ex-Tema Youth winger Joseph Painstil.
According to the NC, his disqualification was based on the breach of Article 33 (5) of the Ghana Football Association regulation.
Palmer was one of the leading aspirants for the position of the GFA Presidency.
The Ghana Football Association Election comes off on October 25th but the legal tussles might forced the date to be pushed forward.
The Tema Youth bankroller was notified last week by the Normalisation Committee that his application to contest for the top job was unsuccessful.
They claimed it due to his Osei’s failure to pay a 10% fee charged by the Ghana FA after an International Transfer Certificate was issued for the transfer of former player John Paintsil to Belgian side KRC Genk.
The former Executive Committee member is said to have breached Article 33 (5) (c) of the GFA regulations which relates to player transfers.
Palmer is reported to have refused to pay GFA 10 per cent of the transfer of striker Joseph Painstil to Hungarian top-flight side Ferencvarosi TC from Tema Youth in September 2017.
Palmer has also vowed to challenge the ruling of the NC acting as the Elections Committee before elections commence on October 25, 2019.
The six qualified presidential candidates include Amanda Clinton, George Ankoma Mensah, Nana Yaw Amponsah, Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, George Afriyie and Frederick Pappoe.
Source: GSN