An Accra High Court has ordered Gloria Appiah, former wife of ex Black Stars midfielder, Nii Odartey Lamptey, to vacate the East Legon residence of the former Coventry City player.
Ms Appiah failed in an attempt to gain 50% share of his assets after the Court presided by Justice Cecilia Don-Chebe Agbevey ruled that having three children out of wedlock is an “adulterous” life.
The ruling puts finality to the bitter divorce battle between the estranged lovers which had lingered since 2013.
Ms Appiah’s motion to be awarded half of each of the ex-footballer’s properties was quashed. She has, however, been allocated Odartey Lamptey’s property located at Dome in Accra as he had earlier proposed.
The estranged wife of the former Anderlecht playmaker is expected to vacate 7-bedroom apartment in East Legon within 30 days.
The court, however, awarded 40% of a GHc500, 000 cash as alimony to the ex-wife, a cost Odartey Lamptey intends to appeal.
Speaking exclusively to starrsportsgh.com after the ruling, Odartey Lamptey thanked God for seeing through what he described as a difficult ordeal.
“I thank God for taking me through this fight successfully because I didn’t know how far I could go. I’m grateful that the toils that I have gone through for the past 21 years did not go in vain. Though I’ve lost a few properties, I’m very content that at the end of this case, I have retained most of them and I’m still alive too,” the former Aston Villa player said.
He added “When I was informed that the [three] children were not mine, I know how I felt. Playing the role of a father to children I thought were mine for 21 years and realizing otherwise later, I nearly committed suicide. God gave me renewed energy and courage to withstand these pains and today, I can say I have gotten over them all.”
“And today, with the final judgment, I thank God that my properties, my school and others I have kept them. She can take the little awarded her. Today the divorce has been granted and that burden that was on me is gone. Now, I’m a free and happy man, ready to start life again.”
Background
In 2013, reports emerged that DNA tests had uncovered that the couple’s three children were not fathered by the former World’s best juvenile player.
The impasse after Gloria wanted Odartey Lamptey to send ‘their’ first daughter abroad to further her studies at a cost of £26,000 a year for three years.
Lamptey then objected, citing the fact that the expense was too much and recommended that his daughter schools in Ghana for her University education.
Gloria was reportedly incensed by her husband’s stance and filed for divorce.
Lamptey initially agreed to the divorce but delayed in his response because he reportedly suspected his wife of infidelity.
The former midfielder, who represented Ghana at the 1992, 1994 and 1996 African Nations Cup tournaments, secretly took samples from the three children and did a DNA test, which reportedly revealed that none of three girls were fathered by him.
Gloria demanded 50% of Lamptey’s estate and other properties which he hotly disputed by asking the High Court to allow the DNA results to be entered in evidence.
