FIFA bans former South Sudan football association president for 10 years

By FRANK SEMATA

FIFA, the world football governing body has banned former South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) president and a former FIFA standing committee member, Chabur Goc Alei from all soccer related activities for 10 years at both national and international level for misappropriation of funds and bribery for the time he was in office.

FIFA's adjudicatory chamber of the independent ethics committee investigated the matter and reported that, "Mr. Alei was found guilty of having misappropriated FIFA funds, as well as having offered gifts or benefits which violates the FIFA Code of Ethics," FIFA said in a statement.

FIFA says Alei misappropriated funds from his federation’s annual grant which was specified for the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme (FAP) and FIFA Goal Programme funds received by the SSFA in the years 2014 and 2015 and the various payments (from such funds) made to different football officials, as well as taking the association properties and registering them under his name.

In its statement, the adjudicatory chamber found out that "Mr Alei breached article 28 (Misappropriation of funds) and article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) of the 2018 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics"

The former SSFA boss In addition, was imposed with a fine in the amount of 500,000 Swiss francs (499,200 dollars) Alei was notified of FIFA’s decision as his ban also comes into force on 24th May, 2019.

Alei was the only African soccer federation leader to publicly support former FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s successful FIFA presidential campaign in 2016.