The head of the Kongo Football Federation was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The head of the Football Federation of the Republic of Congo, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his serious crimes. Zamin.uz reported on this.

Local judicial authorities found him guilty of financial fraud, money laundering, document forgery, and earning income through illegal interest. During the investigation, lawyers determined that the federation chief had embezzled funds allocated by international football organizations during the coronavirus pandemic.

This incident significantly eroded trust in the sports sector. In the context of the criminal case, Mayolas was accused of misappropriating $1.3 million intended for developing women's football and building a specialized training center.

More than half of this fund, specifically $500,000, was allocated directly for the needs of the country's women's national team. Investigators emphasized that the federation head had used his position to utilize funds from state and international organizations for personal purposes.

This slowed down efforts to train young athletes and develop infrastructure. Mayolas was arrested in late May of last year by officers from the Central Intelligence and Documentation Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Along with him, the federation's general secretary, Baji Mombo Wantete, was also arrested. During the trial, both defendants strongly denied the charges against them, calling it a political conspiracy.

However, the court found sufficient evidence and issued a strict verdict against them. This incident caused a major stir within the Congolese football community and is being assessed as an important part of the fight against corruption in the sports system.

This event serves as a serious lesson for other sports organizations as well. Source: one.uz