FIFA Bans Ex-Liberia Football Chief Over Ebola Funds Theft
The campaign that saw top football stars promoting Ebola awareness measures was formed in November 2014, near the peak of a pandemic that killed more than 11,000 people across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Geneva, July 24: FIFA on Wednesday banned the former of head of the Liberian Football Association from football for 10 years over corruption, including misuse of funds intended for an Ebola awareness campaign. Musa Hassan Bility, an executive committee member at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was also hit with a 500,000 Swiss franc ($507,000, 455,000 euros) fine by judges at FIFA's independent ethics committee. FIFA Bans Chelsea for Breaching Transfer Rules.
FIFA's investigation targeting Bility, launched in May 2018, "related to the misappropriation of the funds granted under FIFA's '11 against Ebola' campaign," the world football's governing body said in a statement.
The campaign that saw top football stars promoting Ebola awareness measures was formed in November 2014, near the peak of a pandemic that killed more than 11,000 people across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In addition to stealing Ebola prevention funds, FIFA judges found Bility guilty of misusing others resources sent to the LFA and diverting money to businesses controlled by him or his family.
Bility had attempted to run as a candidate to replace FIFA's disgraced former president Sepp Blatter in a 2015 campaign ultimately won by Gianni Infantino.
But he was barred at the time from contesting after failing to pass integrity tests.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2019 04:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).