Former Asante Kotoko forward, Joseph Amoako, who had been serving a two-year prison sentence in Sweden for rape, has been released after it was discovered that he had been wrongly convicted.
Amoako’s agent, Derrick D Thompson, confirmed the news of his client’s release on March 8, 2023.
Amoako had been accused of raping a 16-year-old Swedish girl in December 2022, and was subsequently sentenced by the Helsingborg district court, which determined that he had committed the crime without the girl’s consent.
This resulted in his suspension by the Helsingborgs IF football club in October 2022, and the termination of his contract when he was detained on probable grounds suspected of rape.
Initially, two African players from Helsingborgs IF were under investigation, but one was released after questioning, leaving Amoako as the sole suspect, and was later sentenced.
However, following appeals, it was discovered that the girl had lied about the incident, leading to Amoako’s release.
“They just released him yesterday from the prison after the appeal was made. The case was fake, the girl was lying. Upon appeal, Amoako has been released. It was all a fake story from the girl so he is now a free man,” Derrick D Thompson told Ghanasoccernet.com.
The news has come as a great relief to Amoako, his family, and his supporters, who had been eagerly awaiting his release. The footballer is expected to return to Ghana soon, where he will resume his career in the sport.