The GFA Disciplinary Committee has fined Bolga All Stars an amount of GH¢500.00 in respect of their GN Bank Division One League match against Berlin FC played on April 26, 2015.
Bolga All Stars FC was charged for failing to control its supporters when they went into the inner perimeter and verbally and physically assaulted the match officials and held the match officials hostage for about 30 minutes until the police rescued them in violation of Articles 56 and 58 of the Disciplinary Code and Articles 35(2), 35(3)(c) and 35(7)(d) of the GFA General Regulations.
DEFENCE Bolga All Stars FC in its Written Statement of Defence pleaded not guilty to the charge and waived its right to personal hearing.
PROCEEDINGS AND FINDINGS The Committee examined the depositions in the Charge Sheet, the written Statement of Defence and the reports of the match officials of the said match. In its Statement of Defence signed by the Team Manager, Ibrahim Bala, Bolga All Stars FC explained that the club provided enough security for the match to deal with anyone and that no offensive or abusive language were used.
The Club further stated that: “The match officials were protected before, during and after the match by both the police and the officials of Bolga All Stars FC. It was even me, the Team Manager of Bolga All Stars that secured the transportation tickets of the match officials and made sure their bus took off …, all to ensure their safety”
According to the club, Bolga All Stars was not guilty. However, the Committee, after examining the evidence from both the Prosecutor and the club, was clear in its position that the regulations do not allow a supporter to enter the inner perimeter before, during and after the match. Bolga All Stars FC could not convince the Committee to reject the facts as contained in the official match reports. It was not the place of the supporters to enter the field of play to protect officials. The police should have been allowed to deal with the situation.
The Committee holds that it will side with the presumption under Article 85 of the Disciplinary Code on the facts stated in the match reports as the club failed to disprove the facts of the match report.
The Disciplinary Committee was satisfied with the evidence before it that the conduct of the supporters amounts to misconduct and a breach of the regulations of the GFA and shall accordingly apply the necessary sanction against Bolga All Stars FC in this respect.
DECISIONS
The Disciplinary Committee makes the following decisions:
5. That the Committee, having satisfied itself that the evidence adduced before it supports the charge of misconduct, hereby imposes a fine of Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢500.00) on Bolga All Stars FC in accordance with Article 39(1)(b) of the GFA General Regulations.
6. That Bolga All Stars FC and its supporters are hereby warned to be of good behaviour and that should the club be found guilty of any misconduct charges during this football season, the Committee shall apply the maximum sanctions against the club.
1. That the fine totaling (GHc500.00) mentioned in Decision 1 above, shall be paid to the GFA within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this Ruling, failing which Bolga All Stars 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.
2. That should any party be dissatisfied with or aggrieved by this Ruling, the party has within three (3) days of being notified of this Ruling to appeal to the Appeals Committee (See Article 37(11) of the General Regulations of the GFA).