The president of the Congolese Football Federation, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty in a high-profile corruption case that has shaken football administration in Congo, reports ghanasoccernet.
The court handed down the ruling on Tuesday, concluding months of investigations and legal proceedings into alleged financial misconduct within the federation.
Mayolas was convicted of multiple serious offences, including money laundering, embezzlement, and document forgery.
He was absent during the hearing and was therefore sentenced in absentia. In a related move, the court also imposed life sentences on his wife and son, who were found to have participated in the scheme.
Prosecutors said the case centered on the alleged misappropriation of funds provided by FIFA for football development initiatives.
Evidence presented at the trial suggested that nearly $1.3 million intended for grassroots football programs and administrative development had been diverted for personal gain.
Investigators revealed that the funds were routed through a network of fraudulent financial transactions and falsified records designed to hide the misconduct.
Other senior officials within FECOFOOT were also implicated. The federation’s general secretary, Badji Mombo Wantete, and treasurer, Raoul Kanda, were each sentenced to five years in prison for their involvement in the financial irregularities.
Authorities noted that the verdict followed roughly eight months of intensive investigation, during which prosecutors examined financial documents, banking records, and internal administrative procedures within the federation.
Investigators described the case as “evidence of a deeply entrenched system of fraudulent financial management that had operated within the football governing body.”
The ruling marks one of the most significant legal actions against football officials in the country’s history and is expected to have far-reaching implications for the governance of the sport.
