Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has broken his silence to defend himself and family against “wild and ludicrous” media reports that he was involved in an alleged ritual killing of a disappeared rapper friend.

The striker used his Twitter account to post a link to a statement issued through a lawyer to set the record straight after the disappearance in July of the rapper Castro and girlfriend Janet Bandu.

The pair were on holiday with Gyan in the Ghanaian coastal town of Ada when they disappeared while using a jet ski, which was recovered without any trace of their bodies.

“Sadly, the expression of empathy during a person’s moment of grief and utter dismay does not sell in the media,” the statement said.

“What sells in the media, and what indeed sold and is still selling in the media in Ghana are wild allegations and rumours directed especially at Asamoah Gyan ranging from the absurd... and ending with the ludicrous – that he sacrificed him spiritually to enhance his career.”

The statement said Gyan, who plays for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates after a stint at Premier League Sunderland, and family had previously kept their silence while police investigations were continuing.

“In our painful silence, we have been totally dismayed by the fact that the platform was provided for the peddling of these wild and ludicrous allegations and rumours against us,” it added.

“Those to whom the platform was provided offered no evidence whatsoever to back their statements.

“And indeed, the allegation of spiritual sacrifice can by no stretch of the imagination be propped up.”

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.