Andrew Kamanga, President of the Zambia Football Association since 2016, has been arrested by the DEC (Drug Enforcment Commission) in connection with embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. The federation's general secretary, Reuben Kamanga, was also arrested.
Will Bavieux Touré and Wadie Jari soon be joined by another federation president in prison? Following in the footsteps of his Malian and Tunisian counterparts, Andrew Kamanga has been arrested by the Zambian authorities, in this case the DEC, a commission combating money laundering and drug trafficking.
At the root of the affair was a request from the Zambian Football Association to its government to cover the expenses (notably accommodation) of two people travelling to the African Cup of Nations in January: Madalitso Kamanga and Jairrous Siame.Some 12,400 euros were donated by the government, not including return airfares.
Kamanga calls on FIFA for help
The problem was that the CID found that the money had been paid equally into the bank accounts of each individual. Worse still, these two men are not FAZ members as stated, but simply the brother and friend of the FAZ president.
With just a few days to go before the elections, in which Andrew Kamanga is once again the clear favorite, the latter immediately contacted FIFA, citing the “influence of a third party”. Following his arrest, he was released on bail and is now awaiting trial with his secretary general, Reuben Kamanga, who is also accused of money laundering.
As a reminder, the FAZ had already been under the spotlight of scandal with a case of sexual abuse of minors revealed notably by Sport News Africa. Since then, no decision has been taken by the management.
