The World football governing body, FIFA, has ordered top Tunisian elite side, Club Africain, to pay Aduana Stars more than $120,000 (plus interest) following the transfer of Derrick Sasraku to the North African outfit in 2018.
Failure to honour the order would lead to a heftier sanction including local and international transfer ban.
The breakthrough was struck by the revered CloseMarking Consult (CMC), spearheaded by Ashford Tettey-Oku, after more than 24 months of feet-dragging by the Tunisians.
The fact of the case was that in August 2018, Aduana transferred the player for $120,000, payable in two instalments – $60,000 upon receipt of the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) on August 26 and same amount on November 11, 2018.
However, valiant attempts by Aduana – some through the diplomacies of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), to recover the fee, fell on death ears.
In the heat of the frustrations, Aduana in May, this year, dashed for the expertise of CMC whom they engaged as legal representative, to fight the case.
“Consequently, we filed all processes before FIFA on Overdue Payable,” Mr Tettey-Oku recalled.
The response from FIFA was positive.
In a decision that was reached on August 25, FIFA gave Club Africain 45 days to ‘cough out’ the initial $60,000 plus a five percent interest per annum from August 26 2018 to September 3, 2020.
The Tunisian club is also to pay $60,000 plus five per cent interest per annum from November 16, 2018 to September 3, 2020, covering the second tranche.
Additionally, Club Africain must dish out CHF 3,000 to FIFA as final cost of proceedings.
Failure to comply with the order, the Tunisians will be splashed with a couple of sledge-hammer punitive measures that would see them suffer transfer ban (both local and international) for maximum duration of three consecutive registration periods.
According to the CMC capo, If the default still persists after the sanction, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose further punishments under the Disciplinary Code.
This is certainly double-trouble for the Tunisian side.
It is recalled that in April this year, Sasraku, through his Agent, succeeded in getting FIFA to order Club Africain to pay over $79,000 (outstanding entitlement), $47,000 (breach of contract) plus cumulative 18 per cent interest per annum from August 2019.
Meanwhile, Mr Tettey-Oku has expressed gratitude to the Dormaahene, owner and Life Patron of Aduana, for the trust reposed in him to deal effectively with the matter.
BY JOHN VIGAH
