March 31 – Authorities in Republic of the Congo have turned to Interpol in a bid to locate and arrest Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, after the long-serving football chief was convicted of embezzling FIFA funds. Mayolas, who heads Fecofoot, was handed a life sentence earlier this month alongside members of his family after being found guilty of embezzling around $1.1m of FIFA funding – with the case largely relating to Covid-19 relief money distributed by world football’s governing body in 2021.
That money was originally intended to support the domestic game, including the women’s national setup, but instead ended up in Mayolas’ pocket.
He was tried in absentia, having reportedly left the country weeks before proceedings began. According to the Guardian, investigators suspect he is now in Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with international authorities now alerted.
The ruling, delivered in Brazzaville, also saw Fecofoot general secretary Badji Mombo Wantete and treasurer Raoul Kanda sentenced to five years in prison. The process is still ongoing, with the investigators still working with international partners to identify and freeze any linked assets.
The case has already drawn a response from FIFA, which opened its own disciplinary proceedings into Mayolas and other federation officials. Potential breaches under review are listed as financial misconduct, conflicts of interest and the use of forged documents.
The whole ordeal marks the latest chapter in a turbulent period for Congo’s football authorities.
FIFA suspended the country from international competition last year, citing government interference in the running of the federation. That decision forced the national team to forfeit multiple World Cup qualifiers and essentially ruling them out of this summer’s festivities.
Mayolas, in charge since 2018, had denied wrongdoing before his disappearance, framing the accusations as ‘politically motivated’. The focus now shifts to whether the authorities in Congo, who have applied for an international arrest warrant, can bring him back to face the consequences of a case that has once again put governance in African football under scrutiny.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]