Liberian FA (LFA) president Musa Bility, accused of multiple acts of corruption by a former LFA executive committee member and other stakeholders in Liberian football, appeared to admit that he had, in 2015, taken $50,000 from FIFA meant as humanitarian aid during the Ebola crisis, and distributed it to his own executive committee members on Liberian radio at the weekend. Calling in to a radio show on Fabric 101.1 FM on Saturday, Bility countered the allegations of corruption made by former exco member Rochell Woodson but when asked specifically about the $50,000 from FIFA for Ebola awareness initiatives he admitted that he had taken the money and shared it amongst his inner circle. He said that it was for them to carry out Ebola awareness work in their respective communities, a claim that is highly contested in Liberia.
Why Bility took the money in the first instance is also unexplained when there was already a Memorandum of Understanding in place between the LFA and Liberia National Red Cross Society that spelled out how the FIFA money was to be used. None of the money made it to work being carried out by the Liberia National Red Cross Society. Before FIFA sent the money the world football governing body rejected a suggestion by Bility to work with the local sports ministry. FIFA later agreed for the LFA to collaborate with the Red Cross Society and an MoU was signed. However, the Red Cross was only used as a pawn to collect the $50,000 from the football governing body.
Once received by the LFA, Bility gave 10 executive committee members $1,500 each, taking $35,000 for himself. Woodson claims she and one other executive committee member were told they didn’t receive a share because Bility said they were out of the country at the time. Woodson, who was on the radio show with Bility, has subsequently reported Bility’s statements in a letter to Confederation of African Football (CAF) general secretary Hicham El Amrani and called for a forensic audit of the Liberian FA accounts and questioning how he can be eligible to stand for election. Bility, who was barred from standing for the FIFA presidency in 2015 and subsequently threw his support behind Gianni Infantino, is standing for the CAF executive committee.
Infantino and his secretary general Fatma Samoura have both said that they have no influence over the CAF elections and that they just want the best people for Africa. However, all their recent and frenzied activity in Africa would suggest otherwise; from the decimation of the development teams on the continent and the subsequent and (conveniently) inevitable reduction in governance over how money is spent, to their own travel in the region to support opponents of Hayatou. Infantino is said to have irreconcilable differences with Hayatou. Woodson’s original complaint against Bility- of which the Ebola claims are just one part – is detailed and called for FIFA’s Samoura to institute a forensic audit of the LFA accounts. But Bility believes the has he protection of Infantino and FIFA. He told Woodson on February 11 “that he (Bility) has a relationship with the new FIFA President (Infantino) and not like the former President (Sepp Blatter), who kept me in football, when he (Bility) expelled me in 2011. And therefore, (there is) nothing FIFA or the CAF can do about any complaint I will file or request I will make. He further said he will ensure that I don’t still (have a position) in football administration both national and international.”
So far FIFA has not publicly moved on the complaint or the escalating allegations. The CAF elections are nearing and potentially could be a deciding factor in how future FIFA elections – particularly those for president in 2019 – could pan out. An Ahmad win would be a big big win for Infantino. A Hayatou win would likely be a similarly big loss for Infantino. There are powerful forces working behind the scenes with a vested interest in keeping Bility in place, at least for another 10 days.
