Authorities in the Republic of Congo have asked for an international arrest warrant for the country’s former football federation chief, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, after he fled with his wife and son following his conviction for embezzlement.
A Brazzaville court found Mayolas guilty of the misappropriation of over $1.1m in FIFA money including funds for women’s football development as part of a coronavirus relief package.
He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month but tried in absentia after he failed to attend court. His son was also given a life sentence, while several other officials from the football federation received reduced prison terms.
Investigators said Mayolas fled the country prior to his trial, and it is thought by the authorities he may be hiding in nearby states like Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The accusations relate to money transferred to the country by FIFA for the development of football and in particular by the country’s female team. The money was not, say the prosecution, used in any organized fashion with projects not begun or completed at all.
Along with his co-accused, Mayolas was found guilty on charges including money laundering and the forging and use of false documents after one of the most significant financial scandals to hit Congolese football in years.
Prior to his vanishing Mayolas refuted all the accusations, labeling them political machinations. However the affair has already led to broader questions about management within the federation and disciplinary actions against him by FIFA.
Mayolas served as president of the Congolese Football Federation since 2018 and he also played a leading role in football administration across Central Africa.
The scandal follows previous instability within Congolese football including being temporarily banned by FIFA in 2025 owing to government interference, leading to forfeits of World Cup qualifying matches.
Law enforcement officials are working alongside international counterparts like Interpol and the financial intelligence services to pursue Mayolas and have asked for his assets to be frozen as the search to return him to face his sentences intensifies.
