Handshake Saga: Thomas Partey is Innocent until Proven Guilty

The English Football Association is considering snubbing Ghana’s experienced midfielder Thomas Partey during the customarily pre-match handshake before the two sides clash in the World Cup. This position will be prejudicial, disrespectful and insulting to the whole of Ghana not only the player, because he has not been found guilty by the court. Therefore, the principle of “Innocent until proven guilty” must be upheld.

The phrase “innocent until proven guilty” is not a slogan. It’s a foundation of due process in any justice system governed by the rule of law. In the on-going public discussion around the Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, that principle has become the central point of the “Handshake Saga” a reminder that legal proceeding, not public opinion, determine guilt.

Partey, like any individual, is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Charges or allegations, however widely reported, do not equate to conviction. The burden of proof rests with the prosecution, and the standard is high: evidence must be tested in court, subject to cross-examination, and meet the threshold required by law. Until a verdict is delivered, the default position is innocence.

This matters for two reasons. First, it protects individuals from irreparable damage to reputation and career based on claims that may not withstand judicial scrutiny. Second, it protects the integrity of the justice system itself. Trial by media undermines the role of courts and risks prejudicing proceedings before all facts are heard.

The “Handshake Saga” moniker reflects how quickly narratives form and spread once a public figure is involved. But handshakes, headlines, and social media verdicts do not replace evidence, testimony, and legal judgment. Due process exists precisely because public sentiment can be fickle, incomplete, or wrong.

For now, the only position consistent with legal and ethical standards is to allow the process to play out. Thomas Partey is innocent until proven guilty. Any conclusion before that point is premature, and any punishment before conviction is a bypass of the very system meant to ensure fairness for everyone, public figure or not.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) must not allow Thomas Partey to be humiliated and embarrassed on such a global stage when he has not been found guilty. I believe Thomas Partey would not have been in the squad if he had been found guilty, because rape or any form of sexual offence is disgusting and nauseating. I am therefore calling on the GFA to instruct Ghana’s players to show solidarity with Partey by refusing the pre-match handshake with the England team if they (England) decide not to shake hands with Partey. The idea is to make a political/symbolic statement against what some see as anti-Partey bias from England. It’s framed as the Black Stars “standing with” their teammate.

FIFA rules require the handshake as part of pre-match protocol. A deliberate snub could lead to sanctions for both Ghana and England.

Some Ghanaians support the idea as showing loyalty to Partey, others think it’s unnecessary and could distract the team before a huge game. Former Ghana defender Hans Sarpei has said the England-Ghana game will be “different” and “anything can happen” because of the emotion around it. Therefore, isolating Partey to be ridiculed by the England team will affect his mental capability during and after the tournament even if he is eventually found not guilty.

So the “Handshake Saga” is basically a call for Ghana to turn the pre-match handshake into a protest moment in support of Partey when they meet England. We should not allow one of our own to be disrespected and humiliated on such a global stage when he is still “Innocent until proven guilty”.

The England FA should respect the GFA and let us enjoy football whiles the courts deal with judicial issues. Ghana must stand up to any form of bully.