Experienced Ghanaian trainer J.E. Sarpong has recounted how he escaped a possible arrest after he yellow-carded Ghanaian IGP Christopher Komla Dewornu during a volleyball event in the mid-80s.
Sarpong recounted to TV journalist Isaac Tetteh on GTV Sports+‘s The File programme how he quickly ran away after blowing the final whistle of the game.
According to his account on the national television, “the IGP was interfering with the flow of the game and as the referee for the game which was between the Ghana Police Volleyball Team and Fire Service he flashed out the yellow card to him.
“He was disturbing the flow of the game and I cautioned him for that. At the end of the game, one of his boys informed me that the IGP was calling me. I quickly tip-toed to my car and sped off,” he narrated.
Quizzed on why he turned down the invitation to meet with the IGP he said: “I didn’t want to take any chances. What if I went in there and he asked his boys to cage me? Mind you, they lost the game.”
“When you are the referee, you are the most powerful person on the field of play so I had to do the necessary thing to ensure the game continued peacefully,” he added.
Christopher Komla Dewornu is a former Ghanaian police officer and was the acting Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service from 12 June 1986 to 31 October 1986. He was appointed the substantive IGP from 1 November 1986 to 31 December 1989.
