Just after the world football governing body, FIFA, backed the Sierra
Leone Football Association (SLFA) of no wrong doing in ‘misuse of the funds’,
commissioner of Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Ady Macauley
Esq. has insisted that they remain committed to fighting corruption in the
country.
According to report from the BBC, a letter from FIFA stated that the
world governing body has no cause to suspect the SLFA of any misuse of FIFA
funds and further warned both the ACC and Sports Ministry against interfering
in SLFA business.
“Fifa has no reason to suspect there has been misuse of funds that Fifa
has provided to the SLFA. In addition, over the course of the last three years,
Fifa has noticed several activities of third parties that could be considered
as interference (in) the running of the SLFA. These have caused continuous
instability to the legitimate and recognised leadership of the federation,” the
BBC quoted the FIFA letter that was also copied to the African football body,
CAF.
However, in an exclusive interview with Concord Sports, the ACC boss
admitted that they are yet to get any correspondence from FIFA, but reaffirmed
their commitment to hold accountable any individual involved in management of
public and donor funds.
“Laws of Sierra Leone are supreme and have precedence over all other
laws, regulation or personal sentiment,” the ACC boss said.
Earlier, the Commission’s Public Relations Officer, Alhassan Kargbo,
said they are not interested and will not interfere with the operation of
football or the politics within the SLFA. “We are not interested in the politic
of SLFA but doing what is under our jurisdiction and the laws of Sierra Leone,
which is supreme,” Kargbo said.
On 7 September, SLFA President Isha Johansen, together with her
Vice-President Brima Mazola Kamara and General Secretary Christopher Kamara
were all detained and questioned by the ACC over corruption.
Johansen was released on bail the following day with no charges, so was
her vice president and general secretary, who spent two and seven night’s
respectively in police detention.
The trio’s arrest came after the ACC said the SLFA President had failed
to attend several hearings set up by them. The commission is investigating the
use of funds the SLFA received from FIFA, CAF and the Sierra Leone government.
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