Authorities in Sierra Leone have launched a corruption probe into the president of the country’s football federation over allegations of embezzling around $720,000 intended for football development.
The announcement was made on Friday by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Thomas Daddy Brima, who has served as head of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) since 2021, is being investigated alongside the federation’s acting secretary general, Benson Bawoh, and chief finance officer, Ibrahim Bah.
According to Anti-Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala, the trio is suspected of diverting substantial federation funds between 2021 and 2025.
President Brima, who denies all wrongdoing, also faces accusations of manipulating the tender process and awarding contracts to a company in which he allegedly holds ownership.
The three officials were arrested on Thursday and subsequently released on Friday after posting bail set at half a million dollars, Commissioner Kaifala confirmed.
The funds in question reportedly came from FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Sierra Leonean government, earmarked specifically for supporting the sport’s infrastructure and operations in the country, one of the poorest in the world.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Kaifala said, “We are investigating the most controversial system of pre-financing and reimbursement, which have been taken to a whole new level.”
He went on to claim that various payments totalling $720,000 were made available to Brima during his tenure and that records suggest financial misconduct.
Finance officer Ibrahim Bah, in testimony before the commission, stated that the payments were advanced to Brima as part of an authorised pre-financing arrangement.
Despite the mounting allegations, Brima remains determined to seek re-election and was due to participate in the SLFA’s ordinary congress scheduled for Saturday, where a new executive board is to be chosen.
Kaifala emphasised that investigations are ongoing and that the commission intends to pursue formal charges against the three individuals if sufficient evidence is found.
