- Kwesi Nyantakyi discharged after 5-year trial
- Prosecution fails to present witnesses
- Court cites lack of evidence in dismissal
Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi and his co-accused have been discharged by the Accra High Court following a prolonged five-year legal battle.
The ruling was delivered by Her Ladyship Justice Marie-Louise Simmonds after the prosecution failed to present any witnesses during the trial. Despite the Republic putting forward five potential witnesses, none of them were called to testify. One of the final witnesses even requested to wear a mask while testifying, a request that complicated the proceedings.
With no evidence presented, the court determined that there was no sufficient basis to continue the case.
A crucial aspect of the court’s decision was the ruling from the Court of Appeal on January 30, 2025, which highlighted the importance of conducting a fair trial within a reasonable time frame.
This came after the Court of Appeal granted Nyantakyi’s request to have Anas Aremeyaw Anas testify without his signature mask. The ruling further solidified the High Court’s decision to discharge the accused.
The case originally stemmed from an investigative exposé by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2018, which led to Nyantakyi’s resignation from his position as GFA president and subsequent bans.
