SIWALE, MUTALE CALL FOR FAZ PROBE
By Bright Tembo
FOOTBALL administrator Blackwell Siwale says he expects the police to investigate and prosecute Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga despite government’s position that it will sort out the matter administratively.
And his Mufulira based counterpart Damiano Mutale has questioned government’s decision to sort out what he termed a criminal matter administratively.
Siwale had written to Inspector General of police Graphel Musamba, asking him to institute investigations and prosecute Football Association of Zambia FAZ president Andrew Kamanga for instructing his general secretary Reuben Kamanga to pay for non-FAZ member’s travel to the just ended Africa Cup of Nations (AfACON) tournament in Ivory Coast.
Prior to the tournament, Kamanga instructed Rueben to write to the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, recommending three officials to travel to Ivory Coast as advance party sponsored by the government with full knowledge that two of the three officials were not part of the FAZ structure.
According to a letter dated March 5, 2024, Siwale asked police to investigate and prosecute Kamanga for instructing the secretariat to put two non-FAZ officials on the advance party at government cost.
Government has since asked FAZ to refund a sum of K341,902.00.
Sports minister Elvis Nkandu also announced that the matter will be sorted out administratively.
“I don’t understand what he (Nkandu) meant when he said the matter will be sorted out administratively, If he had elaborated we could have understood. Administratively, does it mean he is the law himself to punish FAZ or it will end at counselling FAZ? That said, I have reported the matter already to the police,” Siwale told The Mast Sport. “For us we are seeing fraud, for us we are seeing crime and us who are seeing crime we will go ahead. The ministry can go ahead and sort the issue administratively but we will involve law enforcement agencies to investigate the matter and conclude it in a manner it is supposed to be concluded where we suspect crime has been committed, Who is going to payback that money? Is it FAZ ? And if so how? FAZ is highly indebted, why would it use money on individuals who are not FAZ excutive members or secretariat?”
Siwale said he expects nothing but prosecution of the culprits.
“We are seeing crime, we are seeing fraud; let the law take its cause. The administrative matter at the ministry ends at warning them or writing them a letter not to repeat and we are taking it as a crime,’’ said Siwale. ‘’The law enforcement [agencies] will need to investigate and if need be prosecute, I am waiting for a response from the Inspector General of police after writing to him, but I expect nothing less than prosecution.”
And Mutale called the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to join in the investigation.
‘’Thisis a criminal matter, so there is no way the minister can say they will sort it out administratively. Where is the ACC? This is a criminal matter so we expect the ACC and other investigative wings to take keen interest in it,’’ said Mutale.