The FIFA Ethics Commission announced on Monday, November 23, the suspension for five years of the President of the African Football Confederation (CAF) Ahmad Ahmad, imposing a fine of 200,000 Swiss francs (185,000 euros), in particular for embezzlement.
The 60-year-old Madagascan leader, at the head of African football since March 2017 and candidate for a second term, had also been placed in police custody on suspicion of corruption in June 2019 in Paris.
FIFA internal justice, of which Ahmad Ahmad is vice-president, estimated that the head of the African Confederation “Had breached his duty of loyalty, granted gifts and other benefits, inappropriately managed funds and abused his position as CAF president”, explains the instance in a press release.
The investigation by the ethics committee “Focused on various issues related to the governance of CAF, including the organization and financing of a pilgrimage to Mecca, its connections with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities”, according to FIFA. The grievances of the instance will be detailed in the full decision, published within sixty days on the FIFA website.
Charges of corruption and sexual harassment
Ahmad Ahmad, who has temporarily abandoned his post after being infected with the new coronavirus, is therefore banned for five years “Any activity relating to football”, at national and international levels, and may appeal against this suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
This former football coach and politician, who was Secretary of State for Sport and Minister of Fisheries in Madagascar, announced at the end of October that he would run for a second term in March 2021 at the head of CAF.
In the summer of 2019, Ahmad Ahmad asked for help from FIFA to supervise his organization, weakened by several controversies and governance problems. FIFA number 2 Fatma Samoura had notably served a six-month mandate, but this one, which aimed to accelerate the reform process within the body, was not renewed at the beginning of February 2020 .
In addition, dismissed in April 2019, CAF Secretary General Amr Fahmy sent a letter to FIFA in which he accused Mr. Ahmad of corruption – payment of bribes to several leaders, personal use of funds of CAF – and sexual harassment against several employees of the Confederation.
