$9.5m FIFA Grant: NFF President, Secretary General Know Fate Today

$9.5m FIFA Grant: NFF President, Secretary General Know Fate Today

By Admin

Federal High Court in Abuja, will today (Thursday) rule on the prayers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission asking it to join President Amaju Pinnick and Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation Muhammad Sanusi in the suit regarding alleged theft of over $9.5 million FIFA grants.

The anti-graft agency is prosecuting three senior staff of the NFF who are indicted in the fleece and the EFCC is now seeking to join the chieftains of the federation in the suit.

The EFCC had arrested and is now prosecuting the NFF director of finance, Christopher Andekin; head of finance and accounts Jafaru Mamza and Rajan Zaka, a cashier for diverting over $9.5 million being grants from FIFA and CAF for the development of football in Nigeria.

The anti-graft agency had listed the NFF chieftains as witnesses in the matter but after a further investigation, the EFCC found them culpable and are now asking the court to grant its prayer to have the chiefs as respondents.

The moves had been slowed down after the office of the Attorney General said it wanted to harmonise all the cases against the NFF chieftains. But the process received boost after the Ministry of Justice later washed its hands off the case.

The Justice Ministry had already conveyed the new position of government to the court and Justice Peter Affen is set to rule on having Pinnick and Sanusi being charged along with three NFF accounts staffers today.

“The NFF chieftains will know their fates on Thursday regarding the EFCC case but there could be more problems for them as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has concluded its investigation and could drag some individuals to court,” a source close to the NFF told Newtelegraph.