Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mallam Yussif Issah has alleged that the reason he was sentenced to prison in 2001 was that he was set up and not because he stole the Ghana national team’s $46,000.
Issah was dismissed from his position in 2001 by former President John Agyekum Kufuor after $46,000, intended for team bonuses, went missing en route to Khartoum. He was subsequently jailed for four years in July 2001.
However, in an interview with Onua TV, the former Sports Minister alleged that he believes he was set up to end up in jail. Recalling how he became embroiled in a case against the state, Issah revealed how a bag containing the $46,000 mysteriously disappeared during transit to Amsterdam and reappeared days later without the money.
“I even asked why they couldn’t wire the money instead of carrying physical cash because it was dangerous traveling with money. After arriving in Sudan, I asked about my bag and was told it had been checked in. I asked why they would do that, knowing there was money in it, which risked being stolen, but they assured me it was secure.
“But when we got to Amsterdam, I didn’t see the bag anymore. I raised the alarm by calling the chief director to inquire about the bag and the money, and I was told they would get back to me, but they never did,” he disclosed to Onua TV.
Issah further detailed how his missing bag containing the money was eventually found by Saudi Airlines but arrived without the cash.
“My bag only arrived on the day I was supposed to return to Ghana with Saudi Airlines. I picked it up at the airport and noticed it had been tampered with. The combination locks were different. After opening the bag right there at the airport, we discovered the money was missing,” he stated.
As someone who funded much of John Agyekum Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party’s campaign for the December 7 general elections in 2000, Issah believes he was not treated fairly by former President Kufuor. A recent incident, he claims, has made him reconsider his initial belief that his sentencing was fate-inspired.
“I think Kufuor was not fair to me because we were all supporting each other. After I was released from prison, I went to him to thank him for pardoning me, but I am disappointed with Kufuor. I had forgotten about the matter and even visited him because I believed fate caused my prison sentence. But what happened recently made me realize that it wasn’t fate after all but a planned scheme,” he added.
Issah was granted a presidential pardon in July 2003 due to poor health. Since then, he has remained active in the political scene and now serves as the Coordinator for Inner-City Tribal Chiefs and Queens in Ghana.
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