Former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa heavyweight title holder Richard Harrison Lartey says he has rendered an unqualified apology to the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) in order to move on with his career.

The stout boxer was banned for five years after forging the signature of the General Secretary of the GBA, Mr Patrick Johnson, to enable him to fight Fabio Wardley in the United Kingdom (UK) last year.

Lartey also refused to submit himself to the GBA Disciplinary Committee for investigations, giving room for the GBA to deem his misconduct as ‘serious and criminal’.

In an exclusive interview with Graphic Sports last Thursday, the heavyweight boxer admitted his fault and pleaded with the GBA to lift the ban on him so he could eke out a living.

“I realised that I was wrong in the misunderstanding with the GBA and I’m rendering an apology to the GBA so that my career will get going,” said Lartey who has lost all his three recent bouts in the United Kingdom.

Lartey (14-4, 11 KOs) has not fought since suffering a technical knockout to Fabio Wardley in London, United Kingdom (UK), in November last year.

A letter to the GBA president dated 27th September, 2021, which was sighted by Graphic Sports read: “I wish to render my unqualified apology to you, the entire executive members of the GBA and the boxing fraternity for comments that I made about the authority during a radio talk show and the gross disrespect that I exhibited for not showing up to answer a query preferred against me.”

“Upon sober reflection, I have realised that I took a wrong approach in addressing the managerial issues pertaining to my contract. Psychologically, it had an effect on me and this brought about my fallout with the hierarchy of the boxing authority. It is in this light that I am pleading for forgiveness.”

The boxer added: “Lastly, I would like to plead with your esteemed office to take a second look at the sanction that has been imposed on me. Should the sanction be left to run its full course, it would end my career abruptly and this could bring about untold hardships to my nuclear family. I would be extremely grateful if you should ameliorate this for me.”