Officials of the Rodney Michael campaign for the leadership of the Sierra Leone Football Association yesterday met President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House to register their grievances against the decision of the Normalisation Committee to disqualify leading contender Rodney Michael and five other candidates allied to his campaign.
One of the officials who attended the meeting told Politico that they gave the president a synopsis of their complaints. But he refused to be drawn on the details of the meeting which followed a protest organised by their supporters outside State House in Central Freetown.
The meeting with the president took place less than 24 hours after the process of electing a new executive for the Sierra Leone Football Association was thrown into confusion after the Normalisation Committee quoted sections of the FIFA ethics code and the SLFA constitution to disqualify former Sierra Leone international Mohamed Kallon, prominent Football organisers Foday Turay and Idrissa Mago Tarawally and ex-footballer John Dissa.
In a letter sent to the Normalisation Committee of the SLFA Michael and his four associates described the Committee's decision to disqualify them from the contest as "a pre-meditated one". They said, "before the official announcement, members of the SLFA Secretariat had already gloated a day before that five of the candidates had already been disqualified".
The Michael team called on the Normalisation Committee to give them an official copy of their conclusions and also make the ruling of the SLFA's legal team public.
The statement, signed by all five affected candidates concluded that the "committee planned on disqualifying all over us so that those not affected will sail through unopposed..."
Meanwhile 10 Premier League clubs have pulled out of the on-going national league in protest at the Normalisation Committee's disqualification of five leadership contenders, describing the committee's action as "unfair and erroneous".
In another development, one of the league's main sponsors, the betting company Mercury International has indicated it will indefinitely withhold a sponsorship package worth Le 200 million due for release today. Our source wouldn't give further details but he suggested that there was now no league to sponsor.
Five clubs, East End Lions, FC Johansen, RSLAF and Anti-drugs Strikers refused to take part in the boycott.
© Politico 30/07/13
SIERRA LEONE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
NORMALIZATION COMMITTEE
31 Battery Street, Kingtom, Freetown
PRESS RELEASE ON THE SCREENING OF NOMINEES FOR VARIOUS SLFA EXECUTIVE POSITIONS
Authority
I am instructed by the Chairman of the FIFA appointed Sierra Leone Football Association Normalization Committee to convey to the public and the football stakeholders the decisions of the Normalization Committee on the screening of nominees for various Executive Positions in the Sierra Leone Football association.
The Process
The Normalization Committee received a total of 13 nominations for 5 SLFA Executive positions:
President of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mrs. Isha Abiodun Johansen
2. Mr. Rodney Edmond Michael
3. Mr. Mohamed Kallon
4. Mr. Foday Ibrahim Turay
Vice President (1) of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. Brima Mazzola Kamara
2. Mr. Mohamed Jabbie
Vice President (2) of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. Alie Mohamed Kargbo
2. Mr. Idrissa Tarawally
Executive Members of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. John Dee Dissa
2. Mr. Alie Badara Tarawalie
3. Mr. Umaru Jogor Barrie
4. Alhaji Nasiru Deen Othman
5. Mr. Sadiq Deen Nyakoh
The Committee, in reaching its decisions, carefully reviewed the Nomination Forms received, assessed the merits of all petitions received, and took into consideration the responses of each nominee during the screening test. Where applicable, the Committee consulted FIFA and other relevant statutory bodies in Sierra Leone.
The Decisions
President of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mrs. Isha Abiodun Johansen is qualified to vie for the position of President, SLFA.
2. Mr. Rodney Edmond Michael is not qualified to vie for the position of President, SLFA. The reasons for this decision are as follows:
Mr. Rodney Michael contravened Article 25 of the FIFA code of Ethics which states that:
“Person bound by this code shall be forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transaction connected with football. They are forbidden from having stakes either actively or passively in companies, concerns, organization etc that promote, broker, arrange or conduct such events”.
Mr. Michael admitted to the Normalization Committee during the integrity test held on Tuesday, 23rd July 2013 and also in a popular Saturday Radio Programme (Monologue hosted by Star Radio - FM 103.5) on Saturday, 20th July 2013 that he provides consultancy services to a Betting Company in Sierra Leone, Mercury International on behalf of Nationwide Logistics Supplies and Construction Company Limited. Mr. Michael also acknowledged that he has helped people to secure Betting machines from Mercury International and that, if he had the opportunity, he will recommend more people to secure betting machines from Mercury International. The Committee also noted that one of the two Shareholders of the Company Nationwide Logistics Supplies and Construction Company Limited is a close relative of Mr. Michael. The Committee further noted that the Brother of Mr. Rodney Michael in the person of Mr. Martin Michael is the Managing Director of Mercury International.
3. Mr. Mohamed Kallon is not qualified to vie for the position of President, SLFA.
This is because Mr. Mohamed Kallon has not met the requirement of Article 32 (4) of the SLFA Constitution which states that:
“The members of the executive committee shall be citizens of Sierra Leone and shall have resided in Sierra Leone for a period of no less than five (5) years prior to the congress of which they seek to be elected.”
Mr. Kallon presented his passport to enable the committee verify his status. The passport presented shows that Mr Kallon had obtained a residential status and not merely a work permit in another country between 2008 and 2011. In addition to that, Mr. Kallon signed a one-year contract in 2010 with a Chinese Super League side, SHAANXII CHANBA FC and fully honoured that contract for the stipulated period which makes him contravene Article 32(4) of the SLFA Constitution.
4. Mr. Foday Ibrahim Turay is not qualified to vie for the position of President, SLFA. The reasons for this decision is as follows:
Mr. Turay was disqualified because he admitted to the Normalization Committee that he entered into a contract with Mercury International, a Betting Company for a betting machine, an action which contravenes Article 25 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Vice President (1) of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. Brima Mazzola Kamara is qualified to vie for the position of Vice President (1), SLFA.
2. Mr. Mohamed Jabbie is qualified to vie for the position of Vice President (1), SLFA.
Vice President (2) of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. Alie Mohamed Kargbo is qualified to vie for the position of Vice President (2), SLFA.
2. Mr. Idrissa Tarawally is not qualified to vie for the position of Vice President (2), SLFA.
Mr. Tarawally was disqualified because he admitted to the Normalization Committee that he entered into a contract with Mercury International, a Betting Company for a betting machine which contravenes Article 25 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Executive Members of the Sierra Leone Football Association
1. Mr. John Dee Dissa is not qualified to vie for the position of Executive Member, SLFA.
Mr. Dissa was disqualified because he admitted to the Normalization Committee that he entered into a contract with Mercury International, a Betting Company for a betting machine which contravenes Article 25 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
2. Mr. Alie Badara Tarawalie is qualified to vie for the position of Executive Member, SLFA
3. Mr. Umaru Jogor Barrie Executive Member, is qualified to vie for the position of Executive Member, SLFA
4. Alhaji Nasiru Deen Othman is qualified to vie for the position of Executive Member, SLFA
5. Mr. Sadiq Deen Nyakoh is qualified to vie for the position of Executive Member, SLFA
THE PUBLIC IS TO NOTE THAT ALL DECISIONS ARRIVED AT IN RELATION TO THE VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 25 OF THE FIFA CODE OF ETHICS IS AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLICIT AUTHORIZATION OBTAINED FROM FIFA FOR THE COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT THE INTERPRETATION OF THIS CODE AND ITS APPLICATION IS ADHERED TO THE FULLEST.
Signed:
Mamadi Gobeh Kamara
Member and PRO, Normalization Committee, SLFA
Dated: 27th July 2013.
PROTEST LETTER
July 28, 2013
The Chairman
SLFA Normalisation Committee
21 Battery Street, Kingtom
Dear Sir,
Re: Disqualification of Candidates for the SLFA Elections 2013
We draw your attention to the announcement made by Ms Mamadie Gobeh-Kamara, member of the Normalisation Committee on the SLBCTV/Radio today instant disqualifying the following:
- Mr. Rodney Michael, Presidential Aspirant
- Mr. Mohamed Kallon, Presidential Aspirant
- Mr. Foday Turay, President Aspirant
- Mr. Idriss Mago Tarawally, Vice Presidential Aspirant
- Mr. John Dissa, Ex-officio member
In the first place, we are perturbed that no official notice was served us to this effect. We would humbly request that we receive such correspondence including the legal ruling at the earliest possible convenience.
Secondly, based on what we heard on radio, it is very clear that the decision to disqualify our candidates is a premeditated one. Before the official announcement, members of the SLFA secretariat had already gloated a day before that five of the candidates have already been disqualified.
For lucidness and posterity, we hereby submit our petition to your ruling on the following grounds:
- Mr. Rodney Michael – the Normalisation committee used Article 25 of FIFA Code of Ethics which has to do with integrity of matches and competitions. I hereby enclose the said article for your perusal.
Alongside that, I also first of all want to draw your attention to Article 2 which says: Persons Covered by “This Code shall apply to officials and players as well as match and players’ agents who are bound by this Code on the day the infringement is committed”. I draw your attention to the phrase “On the day the infringement is committed”. We are of the opinion that Article 25 will only come to play when there is an infringement in 2 above. Since Mercury International is not betting on Sierra Leone League matches and international competitions, we wonder when an infringement of match fixing will ever occur that will subsequently lead to article 25. We still ask that you favour us with the opinion of the Legal Team you contracted to help you deduce the meaning and application of this Code.
- Mr. Mohamed Kallon – has been Captain of the Senior National Team (Leone Stars) from 2000 to 2010. The ruling against him that he has not been resident in Sierra Leone is a flaw. How can this be when he has been coming to play for the country since? Mohamed Kallon never held residency in any other country other than Sierra Leone. We are of the opinion that Kallon is a victim of circumstance. How can they qualify Brima Mazolla Kamara on residency but disqualify Kallon?
- Mr. Foday Turay – is implicated as having contract with mercury. The same allegation was meted out in 2012 and he came out unscathed. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that he has no contract with Mercury. We would be happy if the Normalization Committee will favor us with such contract.
- Mr. Idriss Mago Tarawallie – Same as 3 above.
- Mr. John Dissa – Same as 3 above.
That said, we would also want to observe that the following persons were also petitioned but were equally qualified by the Normalization Committee.
- Mrs. Isha Johansen – that she is not a Sierra Leonean, having denounced her Sierra Leonean citizenship for a European passport. She was also petitioned on the grounds that by SLFA Statutes, she is not qualified as she has not been in top management association with SLFA for five years.
- Mr. Alie Commoner Kargbo – was Vice President II in the past SLFA Executive, but resigned four days to the Elective Congress last year. The big question is why Kargbo resigned himself from this office and in no time wanting to go for same?
Looking at all of the above, it is very clear that the Normalization Committee planned on disqualifying all of us so that those not affected will sail through unopposed. This is absurd in this 21st Century of global civilization and best practices.
In this regard, we kindly ask that you revisit your decision for the good of the game we all love.
© Politico 30/07/13
