A court in Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo, has sentenced Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, a former president of the Congolese football federation, to life imprisonment in a major international football corruption scandal.
Mayolas was found guilty of embezzlement of over $1.1 million dollars of FIFA’s development funds during his presidency of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT).
According to prosecution Mayolas, the funds were intended to help support football development programs, including women’s football and facilities.
However investigators stated they believed that a number of illicit financial maneuvers and doctored documents were in place that resulted in the money being used for personal gain instead of for football development.
The decision came following several months of detailed investigation into the finances and operations of the federation, but Mayolas was tried in his absence following a refusal to appear before the court, and the whereabouts of the defendant are currently unknown.
It has been reported that numerous others within the federation were convicted for the part they played in the fraudulent financial transactions of the case, with both the secretary general of the federation Bandji Mombo Wantété and its treasurer Raoul Kanda sentenced to five years in prison each.
Authorities are said to be calling this the largest corruption scandal to rock sports administration in the country to date.
It is thought that the decision serves as an important message regarding the accountability required of those responsible for the stewardship of sports development money.
