FIFA have brought down the curtain on one of the biggest relief-fund scandals in the game's history, handing out severe sanctions to the heads of two football federations. Both were found to have seized money earmarked for the fight against Covid-19 and funnelled it into their own pockets.
The great fall of the Maldives federation president
On Friday, FIFA banned Bassam Adeel Jaleel, the former president of the Football Association of Maldives, for life from any football-related activity. They also fined him one million Swiss francs, equivalent to 1.23 million US dollars, after proving he had misused money from the relief plan launched to help federations through the pandemic.
Jaleel had already been suspended temporarily amid a wide-ranging investigation into money laundering, embezzlement and corruption. Investigators found he had deliberately deposited FIFA funds into his personal account and used them to buy himself a luxury apartment.
"Reuters" quoted local media as saying Jaleel is currently serving a prison sentence totalling 32 years on financial corruption charges. "The Sun" reported that he was moved to house arrest last month on medical advice, after being transferred there last March and then returned to prison following a wave of public anger.
He was not alone. FIFA also banned Mohamed Aqil, the former financial and administrative director of the Maldives federation, for 10 years and fined him 100,000 Swiss francs. The charges: facilitating and concealing the misuse of FIFA funds, using forged documents and failing to cooperate with the independent Ethics Committee.
Another scandal in Montserrat
The sanctions did not stop at the Maldives. They stretched all the way to the Caribbean, where FIFA banned Vincent Cassell, the former president of the Montserrat Football Association, for life and fined him one million Swiss francs. They convicted him of abuse of position, systematic conflict of interest, misuse of FIFA and national federation funds, plus conduct harmful to the physical and psychological well-being of the federation's employees.
Tandika Hughes, the former secretary general of the same federation, was hit with a 15-year ban and a fine of 150,000 Swiss francs. He was charged with personally benefiting from and facilitating illicit transactions relating to FIFA resources.
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FIFA insisted these decisions reflect their absolute commitment to protecting football's funds and making sure they reach the people they are meant for, especially the money earmarked for humanitarian crises.