By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The match fixing investigation committee of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has announced that it has identified ten people to be investigated over a match fixing scandal that first surfaced two years ago.
Former Minister of Sports, Paul Kamara, first made the allegations in 2014, and subsequently 15 Sierra Leonean players and officials were named as having allegedly received money in exchange for influencing the outcomes of matches played by the national team, the Leone Stars. Some of the matches were Sierra Leone v South Africa, played in 2010, and Sierra Leone v Cape Verde, in 2008.
SLFA later in that year set up a seven man committee to investigate the scandal. It was headed by Rtd. Major Paolo Conteh who on Wednesday unveiled to the media the conclusion of their preliminary investigations.
“We have identified ten persons of interest. Each person will be contacted to answer specific allegations against them,” he told a press conference held at the SLFA Football Academy in Kingtom, Freetown.
Conteh, who was recently appointed Minister of Internal Affairs, declined to disclose the identities of those in the list for ‘professional’ reasons. But he said the number of suspects had reduced to 10.
The committee said there was no sufficient evidence against the five people who were excluded.
However, Drucil Taylor, Secretary General to the committee, who is also legal adviser to the body, warned that the five people have not yet been totally freed from the allegations.
“These people have not been exonerated by this enquiry. They might be called upon in the future,” he said.
The committee said the substantive investigation had already begun and that all those involved would be called to answer to questions.
The outcome of this preliminary investigation had been long coming and some people have suffered directly due to the delay. One such person, Ibrahim Kargbo, better known as Obreh, former captain of the Leone Stars, had to retire after waiting for over a year for the findings. Kargbo and co-accused were suspended by SLFA pending the committee’s findings. He said his career had already been affected by the scandal and not playing for that long meant he had to end it.
“I'm quitting because of the suspension," the former Sierra Leone international told BBC Sport.
"I'm no longer going to play for Sierra Leone. It's not going to happen anymore.”
He continued: "It's not fair because it's now 15 months since the SLFA suspended us and they have not yet started investigations.”
Other major names in the first list include former Leone Stars goalkeeper Christian Caulker and mid-fielder Samuel Barlay.
The investigation committee did not indicate how long the next stage of the investigation will last.
“We want to be thorough,” said Taylor.
It has taken two years for the proper inquiry in to the match fixing allegations start; many will hope that the investigation does not take as much time as the committee took to start effective work.
Football fans are wishing that the investigations will be fair and swift, two promises the committee gave during the Kingtom press conference.
Match fixing is a crime under FIFA ethic codes. If any player or official is found guilty, they could be fined or banned from football all together.
(C) Politico 14/04/16
