By Osasu Obayiuwana
October 26 – Musa Hassan Bility, the former Liberia FA boss, who has taken FIFA and CAF to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has been compelled to pay CHF 42,000 in additional arbitral costs, to ensure his case is heard.
This is because FIFA and CAF refused to pay the costs required to defend themselves at the proceedings, which, strangely, under CAS rules, both parties are within their rights to do.
As a result, the banned CAF exco member had to pay the court costs of both appellants, in addition to his own.
A payment from Deutsche Bank for €39,431 (which is the equivalent of 42,000 CHF) was sent by Bility’s lawyer to CAS on October 14, to cover FIFA and CAF hearing costs.
Bility, suspended for 10 years by the Adjudicatory Chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, for financial improprieties back home in Liberia – which he is also challenging – is asking CAS to declare FIFA’s six-month intervention in CAF governance illegal, arguing that it is in violation of the CAF statutes.
FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura, who doubles as the organisation’s General Delegate for Africa, has been at the centre of governance reform at CAF’s Cairo headquarters since the start of August and will remain there until the end of January 2020, at the very least.
A date is yet to be set for the hearing of the CAS case.
Contact the writer of this story, Osasu Obayiuwana, at moc.l1713479827labto1713479827ofdlr1713479827owedi1713479827sni@o1713479827fni1713479827