By Paul Nicholson
June 8 – Musa Bility, the CAF executive committee member from Liberia who has spoken out against president Ahmad’s management of the African confederation and in particular his handling of commercial partnerships, has called for a forensic audit of CAF’s finances.
Bility (pictured) was in Paris for the Confederation of African Football meetings and FIFA Congress but was travelling home yesterday when Ahmad was detained by police at his hotel and questioned before being released in the evening.
Speaking to Insideworldfootball from Africa he said he was not surprised by the French police intervention with Ahmad as there are too many unanswered questions concerning the management of CAF’s finances, but that if he has now been released from custody he must show transparency and commission an independent financial audit into all of the confederation’s operations.
“I have called for a forensic audit of CAF’s finances and will do so again,” said Bility. “If president Ahmad can’t continue, and it is still unclear whether he can, then Pinnick (senior CAF vice president Amaju Pinnick who would fill in Ahmad was suspended or removed) must institute a forensic audit.”
Bility is no stranger to forensic audits having had one conducted by FIFA while he was Liberian FA president.
“An internationally-led audit will show where the problems are. I will insist on action. If he doesn’t do it (Pinnick if he steps into the CAF leadership) then he is going to have a problem with me,” said Bility.
Bility has been the most vocal of CAF’s executive committee regarding the conduct of its president. But he is far from being the only voice and says that there is a growing – if not yet universal – opinion that Ahmad cannot continue in his position, especially with the AFCON regional championship about to start in Egypt.
“The executive committee has to take the leadership and show that we are in a position to govern our sport. We have to fix ourselves. Will they act? I will push them to act. This cannot continue.”
It seems unlikely that Ahmad would order a forensic order but the issue for him in the first instance is whether the circumstances of the French criminal investigation enable him to carry out his duties as CAF president.
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