Somalia football Federation accused of fraud, mishandling funds

MOGADISHO Somalia, June 15, 2015 (Garowe Online)- Somalia’s former football federation chairman has accused the current federation executives of fraud and stealing public funds, a significant accusation which comes at a time the world football governing body which funds Somali football stands accused of corruption which saw their top leaders being indicted by the US national attorney.

In a rare press conference in Mogadishu, Muhyadin Hassan Darbaweyne who led Somalia’s SFF since 2007 said Somalia’s football suffers in the hands of corrupt officials, allegedly using public funds in the purchase of personal properties.

“It’s like do it and no one would come to question you about it at all because their mother body (FIFA) is corrupt too.” He told reporters in the Somali capital on Sunday.

Mr. Darbaweyne says the scheme has caused an undue injury to the Somali football with football players are picked according to their clans, leaving behind vital players who could have brought favorable result for the Horn of Africa nation.

Somali football federation officials didn’t return to calls seeking comment.

The allegation are significant at a time nine FIFA officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m (£65m), according to the US Department of Justice.

The officials are accused of taking in excess of $150m in bribes stretching back 24 years.

However, Mr. Darbaweyne urged the world to intervene to save Somalia’s number one sport from what he described as ‘fraudsters’.

“Corruption is rampant here, however the corrupt FIFA turns blind eye and deaf ears to act upon this it.” He angrily said.

He also echoed previous corruption charges by the former prominent chairman of the Somali Football Association as well as the former Vice President of the Confederation of African FootballFarah Wehliye Addo Sindiko who was the first football administrator to reveal FIFA corruption scandal in 2007.

“No one lent his ears to listen to his words until it finally emerged this year.” Darbaweyne said.

“Blatter has been the leader of a body of shame for decades.”

Mr. Sindiko has died of a sudden illness in 2008.

Although the Somali national football team took part in internaional matches, it has never qualified for the final stages of a World Cup or African Cup of Nations.

After the outbreak of the civil war in the early 1990s, FIFA-sanctioned games could not be played within the country. Qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations, the Arab Nations Cup and the World Cup were instead contested away from home. However, following the pacification of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, the SFF began preparations for the first major sporting event to be held in years at the Mogadishu Stadium, in December 2012.

GAROWEONLINE