By MWANIKI MUNUHE
KENYA: Officials of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) are bracing for a major confrontation next week over the alleged disappearance of close to half a million dollars.
This follows sensational accusations that the 14-month-old Federation has lost millions in a scam where funds from international organisations go undeclared.
A non-executive FKF committee member, who has alleged “theft of monies” between November 2011 and December last year is expected to table his evidence before the national committee at a special meeting on Monday next week.
The Standard On Saturday is in possession of correspondence on the matter as well as documents showing millions of shillings wired into FKF accounts.
However, a letter from FKF Finance Director Joseph Agola says the financial documents used to support these claims are “fake”. The allegations have attracted the attention of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
EACC deputy chair Irene Keino Friday said she was aware a complaint had been launched and added “investigations are ongoing”.
“I cannot comment as I have not been briefed on the progress,” she said. The row was sparked off by the alleged failure by FKF officials to declare some $410,222 (about Sh36 million) during its first annual general meeting in June.
The first AGM under the Federation was held on June 28. About two weeks later, FKF non-executive member Hussein Swaleh Hussein wrote to stakeholders claiming millions of shillings had been hidden from delegates in violation of the Federation’s constitution.
Payments
“Amounts totalling to $410,222 have been conveniently omitted as depicted under income notes entry 4.2 of the financial statements presented to the delegates,” Hussein says in a complaint shared with EACC investigators alleging “theft of colossal sums”. “There is the likelihood that more glaring theft of public money can be unearthed with more investigations.”
The money Hussein claims was not declared include a $100,000 payment from the Confederation of African Football for the Goal Football Development Project; a $41,332 down payment from CAF for commercial rights of African Cup of Nations qualifier matches; and more than $60,000 in appearance fees and airline ticket refunds for the national team and the Under-23 squad.
FKF directors, led by Chairman Sam Nyamweya, presented signed financial statements at the AGM that do not mention these alleged payments.
“The National Executive Committee is of the opinion that the fund accountability statement gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Federation and its sources and uses of the funds,” the directors wrote. Mr Lordvick Omondi Aduda, a former FKF official, confirmed receiving a letter from EACC summoning him to answer questions about the row.
Meanwhile, a letter from Secretary General/CEO Michael Esakwa to Hussein has directed him to appear before the FKF committee on August 12 and get a “last chance” to present evidence of the alleged scam.
