The GFA Disciplinary Committee has fined Accra Great Olympics an amount of GH¢800 after being on two counts of misconduct in respect to the First Capital Plus Premier League match against Inter Allies FC played on 5th July, 2015.
On the first count, Accra Great Olympics FC was alleged to have failed to control your supporters when they forcibly entered the inner parameter without authorization and permission in violation to the Articles 35(1)(a), 35(2), 35(7)(a) and 35(7)(d) the GFA General Regulations.
On the second count, Accra Great Olympics FC was charged for failing to control your supporters when they verbally abused the match officials, attempted to physically assault the match officials and also held the match officials hostage in the dressing room for about Twenty (20) minutes until the police personnel were able to escort the match officials out of the Tema Stadium contrary to the Articles 56, 58 and 59 of the Disciplinary Code and Article 35(2), 35(3)(c) and 35(7)(d) of the GFA General Regulations.
DEFENCE
Accra Great Olympics FC sent a Written Statement of Defence and also attended the hearing of the Disciplinary Committee to defend the charges against the club.
PROCEEDINGS AND FINDINGS:
The Committee examined the depositions in the Charge Sheet, the oral evidence, the written statement of defence, the official video of the match and the reports of the match officials of the said match.
In his defence, Accra Great Olympics FC pleaded not guilty to the first charge but guilty to the second charge as follows:
“We plead not guilty to the 1st charge because our supported never entered the inner perimeter. The action of the supporters was a spontaneous reaction to the bias officiating by the match officials when during the dying minutes the referee failed to whistle for an obvious spot kick in our favour. To accuse a club of failing to control its supporters in a situation will be asking too much from the club. However we plead guilty to count two and ask for leniency. We cannot excuse the police who failed to stamp their authority and allowed things to go the way they did. We urge the Disciplinary Committee to take a critical look at the recording of the incident the nearly brought the game into disrepute and apply the necessary sanctions where appropriate.”
The Committee, after examining the evidence from both the Prosecutor and Accra Great Olympics FC convicts the club on its own plea on the second count but hereby dismisses the first charge against the club. The Committee also took judicial notice of the truthfulness of Accra Great Olympics.
DECISION:
The Disciplinary Committee having satisfied itself that the evidence adduced before it supports the charge of misconduct, hereby imposes a fine of Eight Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢800.00) on Accra Great Olympics FC in accordance with Article 39(1)(b) of the GFA General Regulations, which shall be paid to the GFA within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this Ruling, failing which Accra Great Olympics FC shall automatically forfeit all subsequent matches after the said deadline in accordance with Article 15(b) of the GFA Disciplinary Code and Article 39(8)(b), 39(8)(d) and 39(8)(f) of the First Amendment to the GFA General Regulations.
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