Top Official Accuses CAF President Ahmad Ahmad of Corruption and Abuse of Office

The football governing body has over time been associated with one accusation of corruption or the other. 

While the beautiful round leather game continues to bring so much happiness among people all over the world, it is its governing body which has been occupied by greedy politicians that continues to raise a cause for concern.

When the Madagascar Football Association President, Ahmed Ahmed on Wednesday, March 16, 2017 beat incumbent Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Issa Hayatou to become president, the average African thought that the African football body will receive a breath of fresh air.

On that historic morning, Ahmed Ahmed put an end to the 29-year leadership of Issa Hayatou as president of CAF.

Ahmed Ahmed pulled 34 votes against his competitor Issa Hayatou who had 20 votes at the 39 General Assembly held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

But in less than two months to the African Cup of Nations to be organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Ahmad Ahmad, he has been accused of corruption and abuse of office.

The accusations were made by a senior official, Amr Fahmy, who accused the president bribes and misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In a move that many has termed unnecessary, the CAF President, Ahmed Ahmed fired Amr Fahmy after the accusations were made through an internal memo and a letter addressed to FIFA.

Amr Fahmy accused Ahmad of ordering his secretary-general to pay $20,000 bribes into accounts of African football association presidents including Cape Verde and Tanzania.

Amr Fahmy has also accused Ahmad of costing CAF an extra $830,000 by ordering equipment via a French intermediary company called Tactical Steel through back channels.

Furthermore, it accuses him of harassing four female CAF staff, whom it did not name; violating statutes to increase Moroccan representation within the organization; and over-spending more than $400,000 of CAF money on cars in Egypt and Madagascar, where a satellite office has been set up for him.

Senior CAF officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fahmy was fired after compiling the document with the allegations against Ahmad, from Madagascar, who took the top African soccer post two years ago.

CAF confirmed to Reuters that Fahmy lost his job at an executive committee meeting in Cairo on Thursday, prior to the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

It declined to give more details about the reason for his dismissal.

“There’s no explanation. It’s the Executive Committee decision,” communications director Nathalie Rabe said in an email exchange with Reuters on Sunday.

Fahmy was replaced by Mouad Hajji, from Morocco.

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Quote Credit: Reuters

Header Image Credit: Goal.com