Ghana-England match organiser defrauds Ghana FA & travel agent

Published on: 13 May 2011

The organiser of the recent Ghana-England friendly is being pursued by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and a Ghanaian businessman for allegedly defrauding them to a tune of £125,000.

Mel Goldberg is proving evasive over the GFA’s outstanding £74,000 for the match fee and the organiser has been dodgy over a refund of £51,000 to Bahmed Travel and Tours.

The two aggrieved Ghanaian outfits are considering police action over the alleged hide-and-seek game being played by Goldberg.

The revelation has effectively ended the chance of the Englishman organising a match for Ghana in future, after even daring to report GFA officials to the police they set foot in London.

"Take notice that if there is any attempt to force your way into either our office or the offices of Coutts and Co. (the bank) the police will be called and you will be arrested,” ," Goldberg said in an e-mail to the FA on May 10, this year.

"We suggest you take sensible legal advice before you get locked up and thrown out of the country."

Goldberg is said at separate times to have sent different messages to indicate that the money has been lodged into the GFA account but all turned out to be lies.

The organiser, according to the document seen by GNA Sports is to refund at least, £74,000 to the FA and £51,000 to Bahmed Travel and Tours.

In the case of Bahmed Tours, the company paid for £89,000 worth of tickets but only £38,000 worth was supplied.

The last message the GFA accountant sent to Goldberg said, "I just can't understand the whole show. We at the GFA need only a copy of the transfer advice slip from your bank and nothing else.

"Why can't you get us that slip. All the explanations from your bankers and from you are not acceptable. Just send us the transfer advice and we will do the tracking."

The GFA and Bahmed Tours are yet to state their next line of action but sources say they may report the matter to the British security authorities for rectification.

Ghana held England to a 1-1 draw in the first ever meeting between the two sides at senior level on March 29 at the Wembley stadium.

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