By Paul Nicholson
March 1 – Controversial Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured), excluded from the FIFA presidential race after failing integrity tests, is being accused by a former Liberian FA executive committee member of misappropriating FIFA financial assistance money of more than $1 million. Amongst a raft of claims of financial embezzlement, he is also accused of taking $50,000 of Ebola relief money sent to the Liberian FA and sharing it between committee members.
A request for a forensic audit of the Liberian FA accounts from 2010 has been sent to FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura by Rochell Woodson, who in the past has served on FIFA’s Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Woodson has twice been suspended by Liberia’s FA, on the insistence of Bility, in 2011 and again in December 2016.
Both times Woodson had raised questions about Liberian FA finance and had demanded greater transparency over the spending of funds and grant money.
Bility has long held political ambition. Having been banned from the FIFA presidential election he threw his support behind Jordan’s Prince Ali, who in turn took his support to current FIFA president Gianni Infantino after intensive US lobbying in the second round of voting.
Bility is now standing for election to the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). He has also publicly put his support behind Madagascan challenger Ahmad Ahmad in the battle to unseat current president Issa Hayatou from Cameroon.
Woodson’s complaint against Bility is detailed but Bility believes the has he protection of Infantino and FIFA. He told her on February 11 “that he has a relationship with the new FIFA President (Infantino) and not like the former President (Sepp Blatter), who kept me in football, when he (Bility) expelled me in 2011. And therefore, (there is) nothing FIFA or the CAF can do about any complaint I will file or request I will make. He further said he will ensure that I don’t still (have a position) in football administration both national and international.”
Woodson filed her request for a forensic audit and detail of her allegations to Samoura on February 24, but has not yet received any acknowledgement of FIFA receiving it. Insideworldfootball has seen a copy of the request.
The request accuses Liberian FA officials of “rampant corruption and misuse of FIFA funds intended for the development of football and the youths in Liberia.” As well as Bility six other LFA officials are named including the association’s treasurer, office accountant and former internal auditor. Also named is Musa Shannon, the LFA’s 1st Vice President.
The accusations allege that FIFA bonuses from both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups that were sent to the LFA never reached grassroots level but were shared between the “listed individuals while employees sometimes had to wait for three to four months before being paid their monthly salaries.”
Similarly a $50,000 FIFA support grant to fight the Ebola epidemic in 2015 was taken with Bility giving 10 executive committee members $1,500 each, and taking $35,000 for himself. Woodson said she and one other executive committee member were told they didn’t receive a share because Bility said they were out of the country at the time.
The misuse of incoming financial assistance is not confined to FIFA funds. The letter details that between 2014 and 2015 CAF provided assistance of $125,000 for renovation of and lighting for the Antoinette Tubman Stadium that had been granted to the LFA in 2010 by the Liberian government. Because the works have not been done the government has retaken control of the stadium.
Woodson, who was a co-chair on the LFA finance committee, says that the money was accounted for by the creation of fake receipts and alleges that auditors PKF were complicit in the scam.
Liberian football is in a desperate state. After nine rounds of the 12-team top division, the league has been suspended because there is no money to fund the professional game. A league sponsorship of $7,000 has been remitted to the LFA but has not been dispersed to clubs.
Meanwhile Bility pursues his political ambitions, saying he has the support of FIFA’s president.
There is little doubt that Bility has led a charmed life in FIFA circles for some time. He missed out on the final field of candidates for the FIFA presidential election after failing an integrity check because he apparently had a criminal record. He complained the checks were not carried out under the correct procedure and appealed to CAS. His appeal was rejected. But it seems he retained friends in high place nevertheless. The question now is whether the FIFA executive will cover up the Liberian issue.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714110017labto1714110017ofdlr1714110017owedi1714110017sni@n1714110017osloh1714110017cin.l1714110017uap1714110017