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The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has filed a lawsuit against journalist Muftawu Nabila Abdulai and Multimedia Group Limited over reports alleging financial misconduct in the Association’s recent bus procurement deal.
The case, submitted at the High Court in Accra, accuses the journalist and his media company of publishing false and damaging statements that have harmed the reputation of the country’s football governing body.
The controversy began after reports were published on MyJoyOnline.com and aired on Joy News and Joy FM on 4 March 2025.
These reports claimed that the GFA had awarded a GH₵5.1 million contract to Freightgistics Ghana Company Ltd for the purchase of nine Hyundai County buses.
The reports further alleged that the Association used FIFA Forward funds for the procurement, bypassing competitive bidding requirements and breaching procurement rules.
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Additionally, accusations were made that the GFA had altered Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), also known as chassis numbers, to mislead revenue authorities.
A follow-up report on 10 March 2025 raised further concerns, alleging that the GFA had imported 40 mattresses in one of the containers used to deliver the buses.
These claims intensified suspicions regarding the transparency of the procurement process. The reports also suggested that the purchase violated FIFA’s procurement regulations, which require contracts exceeding $50,000 to go through an open and competitive bidding process.
GFA's demands
As part of its legal action, the GFA is demanding a full and public retraction of all reports related to the issue, with the retraction receiving the same level of attention as the original publications.
The Association is also seeking an official apology to be broadcast on Joy FM and Joy News TV, as well as published on MyJoyOnline.com and across all Multimedia Group social media platforms.
In addition, the GFA is requesting a court order to prevent Multimedia Group and its journalist from making further defamatory statements regarding the Association.
The lawsuit also includes a demand for financial compensation of GH₵20 million, arguing that the reports were published with reckless disregard for the truth, causing reputational harm.
The GFA insists that the journalist and media company acted with malice by not offering the Association a fair opportunity to respond before publication. The Association is also seeking reimbursement for all legal costs associated with the case.
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So far, Multimedia Group and Muftawu Nabila Abdulai have not made any public statements regarding the lawsuit.