By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – Is the noose starting to tighten around the neck of controversial African football supremo Ahmad Ahmad?
Although FIFA never comments on individual cases it is investigating, there are fresh reports – this time emanating from Spain – that the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is being probed by FIFA’s ethics committee for financial irregularities.
The investigation is believed to focus on information provided by former CAF general secretary Amr Fahmy who was personally fired by Ahmad at the opening of a recent CAF executive meeting in Cairo and replaced by Morocco’s Hajji Mouad.
Fahmy was apparently dismissed after accusing his boss of misusing of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and an incriminating internal document that has reportedly been sent to FIFA’s ethics department.
Fahmy’s information is said to show he was ordered by Ahmad to pay $20,000 into accounts of African football association presidents including those of Cape Verde and Tanzania and that Ahmad cost CAF an extra $830,000 by striking a deal with French company Tactical Steel.
The documentation is said to feature a number of other allegations against a man who has only been in office for two years. FIFA ethics investigations tend to be lengthy affairs but if found guilty of any wrongdoing, Ahmad’s position would surely be rendered untenable.
In a recent interview with Insideworldfootall contributor Osasu Obayiuwana, Ahmad insisted Fahmy’s allegations were false and that he had tried to shift the blame for any wrongdoing.
“His subsequent behaviour has only proved, in my opinion, that the decision to have him dismissed was the right one,” charged Ahmad.
But in the meantime a dark cloud of suspicion hangs over the leader of FIFA’s largest confederation who will be the centre of unwanted attention when he heads a CAF regional congress in Paris early next month – 24 hours before he appears at the 211-strong FIFA Congress.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1714169540labto1714169540ofdlr1714169540owedi1714169540sni@w1714169540ahsra1714169540w.wer1714169540dna1714169540