By S. Siapha Mulbah
A thick cloud of corruption is reported to be galloping in the Sierra Leone Football Association as the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission indicts football house president Thomas Daddy Brima, Secretary General Mohammed Benson Bawoh and Finance Officer Ibraham Bah for alleged misappropriation of thousands of United States Dollars intended for development and other activities in the sport sector.
Less than five days to the SLFA Ordinary Congress for 2025, the ACC arrested the three top officials of the country football governing body following months of investigation after observing questionable financial transfer in the entity’s financial system along with improper contracts awarded to some entities.
Following a two day detention of the SLFA officials, the ACC hosted an elaborate conference with the media disclosing the improprieties at the SLFA in a total of U$720,144 that were unjustifiably transferred to the personal accounts of Thomas Brima.
Presenting the report, Commissioner Francis Kaifala of the Anti- Corruption Commission explained that a period between 2021-2024 has witnessed several financial concerns in the SLFA that undermines the development of football in Sierra Leone.
According to commissioner Kaifala, the SLFA president in consultation with his two officials transferred the amount in question and other funds to Brima individual account without proper or genuine reason for such action from the institution’s account.
It is alleged that Brima confirmed to the investigation that his status as president of the SLFA granted him the authority to single handedly act in the name of the institution and expand funds for whatever reason he deems fit without the approval of the Executive Committee.
This claim the ACC declared as illegal, noting that the status of the country’s financial laws requires that public finance and various public entities should be fully managed with the consent of authorities at the institutions concerned.
The ACC boss disclosed that for the fact that the SLFA constitutes an Executive Committee, such a committee should be considered as the highest decision-making body at the football house. “All the transfers were unanimously done by the SLFA president and the signatories to the account without proper justification for the funds in question. Brima insisted that he has the authority to do these transfers and other things as the SLFA without the SLFA executive committee which we see wrong.”
“These monies came from CAF, FIFA and the government. Some allowances for national team travels were not expanded properly. The president collected more than the amount budgeted for a trip with one of the youth teams that he did not attend,” commissioner Kaifala said.
In terms of contract awarded during the time under review, commissioner Kaifala intimated that leadership of the SLFA headed by Brima concealed relevant information for bidding and procurement process for major constructions and giving leverage to few others to obtain the contract.
On these and other accounts provided by the ACC, Thomas Brima and his affiliates were summoned, arrested and detained on April 2, 2025.
The ACC however released them on April 4 on bail, in order to allow them proceed with the Congress held on Saturday April 5, 2025.
These crises in the matter have become serious concerns to clubs as many threatened to boycott the remaining league and other football activities of SLFA while demanding proper explanation from president Brima.
The ACC however failed to understand these actions into football governance as any third-party interference by noting that their investigative findings will be of interest and essence to both FIFA, CAF and the SLFA ethics committee.
Recently the President of Sierra Leone also relieved the country’s Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs of his post without citing the direct reasons for said administrative actions.
Many are suggesting that the President’s action is in consonance with the minister’s perceived attachment with the corruption situation at the SLFA.
Clouds Of Rampant Corruption Hangs over Sports In Sierra Leone -As ACC Investigation Indicts President Brima, Other Top Officials
