According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the Zambian national team may not be included in the Paris Olympic Games to be held this summer after FIFA threatened to punish the Zambian Federation (FAZ) for the money laundering crimes of its president. and of undue influence from the third. parties.
Andrew Kamanga, president of FAZ since 2016, is accused of being part of a fraud conspiracy. He is said to have used the money to fund the trips of two Federation members to this year’s African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The general secretary, Reuben Kamangawas also accused, as well Madalitso Kamanga and Jairous Siame, who traveled to the tournament as part of the FAZ support staff. All have denied the allegations.
FIFA sent a letter to FAZ requesting copies of the documents under investigation, and asked them to hold their Annual General Assembly last weekend, warning that failure to do so could lead to grounds for suspension.
In the letter, they reminded them that “teams affiliated with this federation will no longer be able to participate in international competitions until the suspension is lifted.”
The letter warned that failure to hold the Annual General Meeting would provide probable cause for suspension.
“The order of the High Court of Zambia of 24 April 2024 clearly appears to constitute undue influence by third parties which may be considered a violation of Article 19, paragraph 1, of the FIFA Statutes and Article 7, paragraph 1. g. of the CAF Statute”, it said. “For the avoidance of doubt, please note that violation of the aforementioned provisions of FIFA and CAF Statutes may result in suspension from FAZ, regardless of whether the violation is attributed to FAZ or not.
“We would like to remind you that a suspended member association will not be able to exercise any of its membership rights. The representative teams as well as the clubs affiliated to this federation will not be able to participate in international competitions until the suspension is lifted. Because of the above, FAZ is ordered to hold its Annual General Assembly.”
A judge upheld the court order on Saturday and set another hearing for Thursday, meaning the AGM was not allowed to take place. “We respectfully presented ourselves to the court to request the removal of the court order, but the court rejected our request and set a new date for the interpartes hearing, which is Thursday,” Reuben Kamanga said in a statement. “We advise our members to remain calm and committed to keeping them informed at all stages.” Kamanga added that “it is too early to say if there will be immediate consequences from FIFA.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
