The president of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) is under legal scrutiny following accusations of embezzling $1.3 million in FIFA funds, including $500,000 allocated for the women’s national team.
Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas was arrested in late May by Congo’s central intelligence office and is expected to face charges of forgery and money laundering.
According to The Guardian, Mayolas allegedly redirected over $800,000 in FIFA development funds meant for the construction of a national football training centre in Ingné – a project that was supposed to be completed eight years ago but remains unfinished. The report states that all funds have been frozen, with no visible progress on the ground.
Mayolas, who has led FECOFOOT since 2018, is suspected of orchestrating a network of shell companies to siphon off football-related development funds.
A declaration signed by the presidents of all women’s clubs, sent to Congolese authorities in March, revealed that only $20,000 of the $500,000 in COVID-19 relief funds provided by FIFA in 2021 was actually distributed to the teams.
A FIFA ethics committee visited Congo in March to assess the claims, but a formal investigation has yet to be launched.
Mayolas is expected to be summoned for a hearing this week in Brazzaville.
