Véron Mosengo-Omba, the general secretary of African soccer’s CAF governing body, is under investigation in Switzerland for criminal mismanagement of funds.
The African official has been accused of making a series of suspicious payments to Swiss bank accounts but has vigorously denied the claims, which were revealed on Wednesday (October 2) by a public disclosure from the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) of Switzerland.
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The investigation into Mosengo-Omba was opened in February by the Fribourg Public Prosecutor’s Office after several suspicious transaction reports to Swiss accounts were sent to the Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) for investigation.
Now, the MROS has said its analysis of transactions showed the general secretary “had, on several occasions, obtained bonuses much higher than the maximum set in his employment contract… and received all of these bonuses and salaries in a variety of Swiss accounts.”
The authority cited transfers between personal accounts and cash withdrawals, “hindering any possibility of tracing the use of said funds.”
The MROS also cited a “bundle of evidence, founding suspicions of acts of disloyal management to the benefit of Mosengo-Omba.”
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By GlobalDataThe CAF general secretary yesterday issued a statement on X defending himself against what he claims are “misleading reports” about the proceedings opened against him.
https://t.co/WjCFlQ3m24 pic.twitter.com/bUn0Z7Q0yz
— Véron Mosengo-Omba (@VeronMosengo) October 2, 2024
Mosengo-Omba described the bank transfers as “legitimate” and referred to “remuneration and bonus I have received from CAF since I have held the position of general secretary”, adding “they were made in full transparency."
He also said he had “notified the prosecutor of the canton of Fribourg of my availability to answer any queries and provide him with any information he may require”. He claimed that “no criminal proceedings have been initiated neither by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Fribourg nor by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Confederation, nor by any other authority.”
The investigation, however, remains ongoing after Switzerland’s federal criminal court ruled that more evidence was required to bring charges against Mosengo-Omba.
The Fribourg Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case could compromise Switzerland’s reputation.
Mosengo-Omba, appointed general secretary of CAF in 2021, is also under investigation by that federation over claims of serious misconduct.
In August, CAF confirmed it had opened a probe into Mosengo-Omba after allegations of corruption were made against him.
He has been accused of whitewashing the investigation, with the audit and compliance committee claiming there had been “unauthorized interference” from the general secretary. A CAF audit report called for his suspension.
Mosengo-Omba is formerly FIFA’s chief member associations officer and a close associate of its president, Gianni Infantino.
CAF is battling to improve its image after widespread allegations of corruption. Its previous president Ahmad Ahmad was suspended by FIFA in 2020 for financial misconduct.
