Three prominent members of the Congolese Football Association (FECOFOOT) have been formally accused of financial impropriety involving FIFA funding by the investigative chamber of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee.
General Secretary Wantete Badji, Finance Director Raoul Kanda, and FECOFOOT President Jean Guy Mayolas are all under investigation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA confirmed the action after reviewing records obtained through its internal procedure.
The governing body stated, “This material indicates potential financial irregularities and inconsistencies relating to the use of FIFA-allocated funds.”
The investigatory chamber has concluded that there is a prima facie basis to initiate proceedings for possible violations of the FIFA Code of Ethics based on this information.
“In light of this, the chairperson of the investigatory chamber has chosen to initiate formal proceedings against the following FECOFOOT officials: Wantete Badji, General Secretary of FECOFOOT; Raoul Kanda, Finance Director of FECOFOOT; and Jean Guy Mayolas, President of FECOFOOT and a member of the FIFA Media and Communications Committee.”
Article 29 on misappropriation and misuse of funds, Article 25 on forgery and falsification, Article 20 on conflicts of interest, and Article 21 on providing and receiving gifts and other advantages are just a few of the sections of FIFA’s Code of Ethics that the conduct under investigation may violate.
As the inquiry progresses, the list of potential infractions may alter.
The case comes weeks after Mayolas, his wife, and son were found guilty in absentia of embezzling around 1.1 million dollars in FIFA funds by a criminal court in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
Mayolas was sentenced to life in prison by the court on allegations of money laundering, forgery, and misappropriation.
