D.K. Poison receives $45,000 Ghana owes him

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has approved an amount of $45,000  to settle the debt Ghana owes retired world boxing champion, David Kotei, popularly known as D.K. Poison.

A directive from the president is that the amount should be paid on “compassionate grounds.”

This comes in the wake of a petition D.K Poison and his lawyers sent to the Presidency in September 2019, asking that he be paid the amount he loaned the country over four decades ago.

In 1976, D.K Poison had defended his world title against Japanese Shigefumi Fukuyama in Japan and received a fight purse of $ 75,000.

But the then Military government led by General Kutu Acheampong pleaded with him to loan the state the money to buy sardines and other essential commodities to support the state during a period of economic crisis.

According to the first Ghanaian to win a world title, the state paid but only $34,000 out of the total amount.

He has tried without success to retrieve his money from various governments but to no avail.

In a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Finance Ministry has been instructed to ensure that the money is paid to the 69-year-old D.K Poison.

On September 20, 1975, D.K. Poison became the first Ghanaian to win a world title when he defeated the champion, Reuben Olivares, by split points in a 15-round clash in Inglewood, California.

He lost the title the following year after a unanimous points defeat to American Danny “Little Red” Lopez at the Accra Sports Stadium.