Confederation of African Football (CAF) president and FIFA vice-president Ahmad Ahmad has been handed a five-year ban for breaching the FIFA Code of Ethics.
The decision was released on Monday by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the independent Ethics Committee, which found that Ahmad had breached various articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics, including a duty of loyalty, offering and accepting gifts or other benefits, abuse of position, and misappropriation of funds.
Ahmad’s ban follows an investigation into his conduct as CAF president between 2017 and 2019, and related to the “organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement with CAF’s dealings with sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities”.
As a result, the 60-year-old has been slapped with a five-year ban from all football-related activities at both national and international level, while he was also handed a CHF 200 000 (R3.3 million) fine for his indiscretions.
The announcement comes just days after the Ethics Committee found Yves Jean-Bart, the president of the Haitian Football Association and former FIFA standing committee member, guilty of having abused his position, and having sexually harassed and abused various female players, including minors, and handed him a lifetime ban.
The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Ahmad Ahmad, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and a FIFA Vice-President, guilty of having breached art. 15 (Duty of loyalty), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) and art. 25 (Abuse of position) of the 2020 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as art. 28 (Misappropriation of funds) of the 2018 edition.
The investigation into Mr Ahmad’s conduct in his position as CAF President during the period from 2017 to 2019 concerned various CAF-related governance issues, including the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF’s dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities.
In its decision, following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Ahmad had breached arts 15, 20 and 25 of the current edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as art. 28 of the 2018 edition, and sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 200,000 has been imposed on Mr Ahmad.
The terms of the decision were notified to Mr Ahmad today, the date on which the ban comes into force. In accordance with art. 78 par. 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, the full, motivated decision will be notified to Mr Ahmad in the next 60 days, after which it will be published on legal.fifa.com.
AHMAD AHMAD’ PROFILE
Born on : 30 December 1959
Son of : DAROUECHE ABOUDOU and SALUMAT
Professional Experience
- 2016 to 2017: Senator of Madagascar (Vice-President of the Senate)
- 2014 to 2016: Minister of Fishery Resources and Fisheries
- 2003 to 2007: Professor in sport legislation and sports marketing at the Académie Nationale des Sports
- 1994/1995: Member of the Government in charge of the Department of Sports
- 1988/1993: Head of Sports Department, Mahajanga
- 1989/1990: Coach of the Football club AC SOTEMA
- 1986/1988: Professor of sports at the CEG of Tambohorano
- 1988/1989: Professor of sports at the Technical School of Mahajanga
