The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), has suspended Ugandan FUFA president Moses Magogo from taking part in any football-related activities for a period of two months.
FIFA suspends FUFA president Moses Magogo who was also fined a cash sum of Shs37 million pleaded guilty and confessed to involving himself in the sell of 2014 World Cup tickets that were meant for Ugandans to enable them to attend the tournament.
A particular number of tickets is allocated to each federation before the World Cup and in 2014, Uganda was allocated 177 but these were allegedly not sold to Ugandans according to a complaint lodged by Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana.
On Thursday, the world football governing body in a press statement said Magogo entered a plea bargain with the chairperson of the investigating committee.
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case between the prosecutor and defendant whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a particular charge in return for some concession from the prosecutor.
Last week Magogo agreed to step aside to allow investigations into his alleged role in the sale of the 2014 Brazil World Cup tickets.
“This case can go on for ages but to dispose of it once and for all, I was advised to step aside for two months as the investigations go on,” this was Magogo’s statement at the 95th Fufa Ordinary Assembly in Adjumani earlier.
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In-office since August 2013, FUFA president Moses Magogo also announced that first vice president Justus Mugisha would temporarily take charge as the investigations are conducted.
This case first attracted public attention in May 2017 when Makindye West MP, Allan Ssewanyana, petitioned FIFA pinning Magogo on alleged involvement in the sale of 2014 World Cup tickets that had been allocated to Uganda.
In that petition, Ssewanyana questioned the integrity and moral authority of Magogo, accusing him of violating and breaching FIFA statutes and code of ethics and disciplinary code under articles 13, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.
Ssewanyana avowed that tickets meant to be sold to Ugandans as allocated by Fifa were instead sold to US-based Howard Schwartz, contradicting Article 21 (2) of the Code of Ethics, which addresses the acceptance of gifts and other benefits for personal gain.
FIFA, through Mrs Maria Claudia Rojas, the chairperson of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee then, wrote to Magogo in June 2017 requesting for more information and documents about the said alleged sale of tickets.
By John Dalton Kigozi
