The Ghana Boxing Authority has handed former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey a two year ban.
The body GBA says a ban was issued after the boxer made false accusations against its executives in a media interview.
The boxer in a recent interview with a social media channel Kpanlogo Mashi TV in February made “false accusations and disparaging remarks” about its Executives and even though the boxer later apologised for his comments the sanctioning body for professional boxing in Ghana insist his apology was half-hearted and not contrite, ” the GBA said in a statement.
The GBA said it banned the boxer after he appeared before the GBA Disciplinary/Arbitration Committee on March 31, 2021.
“We refer to the proceedings of the Ghana Boxing Authority Disciplinary/Arbitration Committee Session held on Wednesday the 31st day of March, 2021 at which you appeared in response to the Summons to show cause why you should not be sanctioned for the false accusations and disparaging remarks you made about the GBA Executive in the interview you recently granted Kpanlogo Mashi TV in the United States of America.
‘Notwithstanding the seriousness of your misconduct the GBA took cognisance amongst others of your admission of guilt, the apology you rendered (albeit half hearted and not contrite) as well as the intervention of Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II the Ga Manste in mitigation of your sentence,” the letter reads’.
“For your sanction the GBA hereby imposes on you a total ban from all GBA organised functions and related activities for a period of Two (2) years commencing the 31st day of March, 2021. It is hoped that the haughty and arrogant posture that you have adopted towards fellow members of the Boxing fraternity in recent times will cease in the aftermath of this decision”.
Meanwhile, the boxer has already apologised.
“It has come to my attention that in a recent interview I may have caused offence to the GBA and others in the boxing fraternity by using certain words which now I realise were inappropriate. I wish to apologise to the GBA and to all concerned. I realise that in my position as a role model to many I have to be mindful of my actions,” parts of the letter read.
“In future I will refrain from airing certain views in public and deal with them diplomatically and appropriately. There are certain things that I am unhappy with and on my return to Ghana along with my team we will deal with them in the correct way,” his apology read.
