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The High Court has discharged former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi from his ongoing trial related to the Number 12 exposé.
The ruling came after the prosecution failed to present investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a key witness in the case against Nyantakyi.
Nyantakyi had been facing charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and corruption, following his appearance in the Number 12 documentary, which exposed alleged corrupt dealings in African football.
The exposé showed Nyantakyi receiving money from an undercover journalist posing as a businessman. He was recorded promising to use his connections—including with then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo—to facilitate business deals. He was also accused of accepting bribes to influence player selections for the Ghana national team.
The trial faced significant delays due to a dispute over Anas’s testimony. While Anas wanted to testify wearing his signature mask, Nyantakyi and his lawyers demanded he do so without it.
Initially, the High Court ruled that Anas could testify in public with a mask but must reveal his identity to Nyantakyi in private. However, upon appeal, the Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that Anas must testify without a mask.
On Thursday, February 13, 2025, when the case was called, state prosecutors requested a one-month adjournment as they sought advice from the Attorney General, citing their inability to present Anas in court.
Nyantakyi’s lawyers, however, urged the court to dismiss the case for lack of prosecution.
The judge subsequently discharged Kwesi Nyantakyi.
