The Court of Arbitrator for Sports (CAS) has rejected the preliminary objection of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) against the exercise of jurisdiction by CAS to hear the case between the GFA and Wilfred Osei Kweku ‘Palmer’.
For a recap, Mr. Wilfred Osei Kwaku, affectionately called ‘Palmer’ in the sporting circle, was disqualified by the then Normalization Committee of the GFA from contesting the GFA Presidential elections in October last year on grounds of integrity failure, and the Tema Youth President has since been seeking redress from the world sports adjudicatory body. ‘Palmer’ has prayed CAS to declare the elections which saw Kurt Okraku elected as the new president of the GFA nullified as he believes he was unduly denied the chance to contest.
According to CAS, the GFA, in this case referred to as the Respondent, disputed that CAS has no jurisdiction to hear the case, but the said objection by the FA has been thrown out, paving way the substantial case to be determined.
In a ruling on Monday June 22, CAS dismissed the GFA’s objection but has decided to withhold the reasons till July 17, 2020 when the final verdict on the substantial case would be delivered.
“The reasons for the Panel’s decision will be communicated to the Parties in the final award in the present case,” Carolin Fischer wrote in the award.
In their argument, the lawyers of ‘Palmer’ referred the GFA and CAS to “Article 61 of the GFA Statutes conferring jurisdiction on the CAS”.
CAS ruled that it has the jurisdiction to rule on the matter, and has set July 17, 2020 as the date to deliver the final verdict on the substantial case.
