The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) yesterday banned the President of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) Eng. Moses Magogo Hashim from football-related matters for two months with charges related to breaching the FIFA ethics code of conduct.
An investigation into Magogo was opened on 23 July 2018 related to the resale of 2014 FIFA World Cup tickets.
In a press statement by FIFA, “The chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has ratified the plea bargain entered into by Moses Hassim Magogo, President of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations and member of the Confederation of African Football Executive Committee, and the chairperson of the investigatory chamber.”
The statement continued that it took action in accordance with art. 67 par.1 of the FIFA Code of Ethics where both parties mutually agreed on the sanctions. The code states that;
“Anyone who, in football-related activities, forges a document, falsifies an authentic document or uses a forged or falsified document to deceive in legal relations will be sanctioned with a fine.”
“A two-month suspension from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level.” The statement read in part. The suspension became effective upon the validation of the agreement by the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber on 10 October 2019.
Eng. Magogo is also fined with 10,000 CHF, which is close to Ugsh 37 million payable within 30 days.
FUFA in a statement said that there was an anomaly with regulations governing FIFA World cup tickets and so Eng. Magogo opted to take responsibility to end the matter.
“Following similar procedures for 2014 FIFA World Cup as the case was for the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, there was an anomaly with regulations governing FIFA World Cup Tickets and the FUFA President opted to take responsibility in order to conclude the matter,” FUFA statement read in part.
It stated that during the 2 months, the FUFA 1st Vice President Justus Mugisha will act as the FUFA President.
It should be noted that FUFA President communicated at the 95th FUFA General Assembly in Adjumani on 28th September 2019 that he will step down for two months to allow FIFA investigations into the matter to take course.
Accuser And Government Stand
The case against Magogo was filed to FIFA by Opposition Shadow Minister of Sports and Member of Parliament for Makindye West Allan Ssewanyana for the World Cup tickets that were allocated to Uganda.
The petition was filed on May 30th, 2017 to the FIFA Ethics and Integrity Committee in reference to Eng. Magogo’s breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics and discipline.
Ssewanyana recently said he wants to hear the government stand on this matter saying he lodged the matter at hand to them.
“The government mostly the Minister of Education and Sports Kataha Museveni should give an account to this matter, we want to know how far their investigations have gone”
He added that “The government is obliged to give an account to all matters in regards to corruption, this is not my case alone but all Ugandans want to be sure of where the money that is given to them goes,” said Ssewanyana.
The International Federation (FIFA) tasked Eng. Magogo to file his defence, in September, the head of Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Directorate, Grace Akullo was tasked to start investigations into the matter but there has been no response since then.
Earlier today, 11th October, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations summoned Allan Ssewanyana to make a statement over the same issues at their offices in Kibuli. We now wait on the government stand into the matter.
BY FRANK SEMATA
