September 25, 2017 By Sahr Morris Jnr
Secretary General of WAFA, Kashor Holland-Cole
Football officials that were banned by the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) have waved-away the said decision by the SLFA, stating that ‘it is a joke of the century’ and are not troubled by such ‘illegal’ verdict.
A total of 19 football members were ban for life by the SLFA for what the SLFA says it is a violation of both the FA and FIFA statutes concerning taking football related cases to civil courts.
The group of football representatives dragged the FA to court in August to seek an injunction against the current executive from running the administration of football in the county just weeks after the World football governing body, FIFA, postponed the SLFA congress and elections until an integrity checks on all candidates are carried out.
Just a day after the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission indicted the SLFA president, Isha Johansen and her Secretary General, Chris Kamara, on six count charges of abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds, the SLFA executive issued an unsigned and undated press release confirming the ban of the 19 officials.
Reacting to the decision, Secretary General of East End Lions Football Club, Abdulrahman Davies said the body, who took such verdict does not have the mandate for such action, adding that it is just a plot to continue with the unrest in the country’s football.
“We are not going to listen to such ‘rubbish’. These people don’t have the dictate to do such, so it is of no use to even bother us,” said Davies, whose chairman, Sanusi Bruski Kargbo, that had declared his intention to run for the SLFA presidency, was also amongst the 19 people banned by the FA.
Another banned official, the Western Area Football Association Secretary General, Kasho Holland Cole, expressed similar sentiments, adding that: “The SLFA is a limited company by guarantee, [which means] they can sue or be sued.”
He cited that such decision, which he branded as ‘shameful’ is also against Art. 14.1, 2 of the SLFA statues which states: “The congress is responsible for suspending a member. The executive committee may however suspend members that seriously violate its obligations with immediate effect. The suspension shall last until the next congress, unless the executive committee has lifted it in the main time.”
Art. 14.2 reads: “A suspension shall be confirmed at the next congress by three-quarter majority of votes taken. If not confirmed the suspension is automatically lifted.”
Other notable names banned by the SLFA are, Idrissa Mago Tarawallie, Amara Kamara and Benjamin Gordon.