The president of the Congolese Football Federation, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty in a major corruption case that has shaken football administration in the Central African country.
A court delivered the ruling on Tuesday following months of investigations and legal proceedings into alleged financial misconduct within the federation.
Mayolas was convicted of several offences including money laundering, embezzlement and document forgery. He did not appear in court during the hearing and was therefore sentenced in absentia.
The court also handed life sentences to his wife and son after finding that they had participated in the scheme.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Prosecutors said the case centred on the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the federation by Fifa for football development programmes.
According to evidence presented during the trial, about $1.3 million intended for grassroots football initiatives and administrative development was diverted through fraudulent financial transactions.
Investigators said the funds were channelled through falsified financial records and other irregular transactions designed to conceal the diversion of the money.
The probe also implicated other senior officials within FECOFOOT.
The federation's general secretary, Badji Mombo Wantete, and its treasurer, Raoul Kanda, were each sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of participating in the financial misconduct.
Authorities said the verdict followed about eight months of investigations, during which prosecutors examined financial documents, banking records and internal administrative procedures within the federation.
Investigators described the case as evidence of deeply entrenched financial mismanagement within the country's football governing body.
The ruling represents one of the most significant legal actions taken against a football administrator in the country's history and is expected to have major implications for the governance of the sport.
The scandal has also intensified concerns about transparency and accountability in football administration, particularly in the management of international development funds provided by global governing bodies.
With court proceedings now concluded, attention is expected to shift toward potential reforms within the federation and broader efforts to restore credibility and integrity to football governance in the country.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
