Mali: Femafoot president sent to prison
The president of the Malian Football Federation (Femafoot), Mamoutou Touré, was remanded in custody on Wednesday 9 August
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Mamoutou Touré, known as "Bavieux", a former administrative and financial director of Mali's National Assembly and president of the Malian Football Federation (Femafoot), is on the list of figures suspected of offences against state public assets and of forgery and use of forged documents. The alleged offences relate to the period from 2013 to 2019. The news broke on Wednesday 9 August.
Touré, who is standing for re-election as Femafoot president, has been remanded in custody at Bamako's central prison. He was charged and placed under a committal order after being questioned by Lassine Fofana, judge of the economic and financial division, "for offences against public assets and for forgery and use of forged documents."
Election of new executive board scheduled for 29 August
The judge of the economic and financial division has placed several figures under committal orders in this case, known as the Mali National Assembly affair. The charges are offences against public assets, forgery and use of forged documents, and complicity. Alongside the Assembly's president, Issiaka Sidibé, a former president of AS Real de Bamako, the current Femafoot president is among them. Modibo Sidibé, the Assembly's secretary general, and a former accountant of the institution are also in detention. They are all suspected of embezzling "17 billion, of which 7 billion in irregular allowances and 10 billion unaccounted for," according to sources close to the case.
On 29 August, the Malian Football Federation (Femafoot) will choose a new president. Four candidate lists had been received and examined by the first-instance electoral commission, which retained only two (02): those of Salaha Baby and Mamoutou Touré, known as "Bavieux". Salaha Baby's candidacy was invalidated by the electoral appeals commission.
That followed an appeal lodged by candidate Mamoutou Touré. Meanwhile, Salaha Baby's challenge concerning his opponent's integrity questionnaire was rejected by the same commission. The same went for Sekouba Diogo Keita, a former Femafoot vice-president in charge of administration, who criticises the entire electoral process and points the finger at the independent commissions. Salaha Baby's team therefore rejects the appeals commission's ruling and is taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). That leaves the situation uncertain with the election 20 days away.
Drissa NIONO