Sierra Leone FA boss Johansen charged with corruption
Sierra Leone's FA president Isha
Johansen has been charged with abuse of office and misuse of public
funds by the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Johansen has been indicted on three counts, as has Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) Secretary General Chris Kamara.
Both were detained last year as the ACC investigated potential abuse of funds.
Johansen has denied the charges, which come two days after she announced her intention to stand for another term.
"This
announcement by the ACC was inevitable and predictable - I am deeply
saddened," Johansen, who is currently in Ghana, told BBC Sport.
"It's
another sad day for justice, integrity and patriotism in Sierra Leone,
another sad day for any woman who dares to pioneer change. I always knew
that my announcement to run for a second term would provoke strong
reactions."
In September 2016, Johansen, Kamara and SLFA
vice-president Brima Mazola Kamara were arrested by the ACC and detained
at the Criminal Investigations department after they failed to attend a
hearing.
ACC officials and armed police subsequently raided the
SLFA secretariat in Freetown and took away computers and documents to
help their investigation.
Brima Kamara has no case to answer.
"I
can confirm that the SLFA President and Kamara have been indicted on
six counts relating to abuse of office and misappropriation of public
funds," ACC chairman Ade Macauley said at a news conference on Thursday.
"Their first appearance in court will be on 30 October."
Macauley
told BBC Sport that the public funds include money the SLFA received
from donors, with football's world governing body Fifa among them.
Due
in Freetown next week to pave the way for new SLFA elections, Fifa has
previously stated it is satisfied with the body's financial books.
Johansen
took charge of the SLFA in 2013 and her reign has been blighted by
controversy, infighting and the impact of the Ebola virus.
The
SLFA was supposed to hold elections in early August but these were
delayed by football's world governing body Fifa until integrity checks
on current and potential SLFA executive members are carried out.
BBC
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