ZIFA may not receive any more money from FIFA over bad governance – FIFA regulations
Zurich, Switzerland (PANA) - The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) risks being removed from the list of associations benefitting from the FIFA forward funds because paid out its subordinate associations the Covid-19 relief fund before the world football motherboard released the funds.
FIFA said in a statement on Monday that by so doing, ZIFA violated stipulated regulations that should govern the management of both the Covid-19 relief fund and Forward Funds programme.
It said that both regulations contain clear obligations about the correct use of funds and good governance principles. Furthermore, the regulations state that the use of funds is subject to significant audit and control mechanisms.
In response to violations of good corporate governance as in the case of ZIFA, FIFA’s audit and compliance committee may:
a) restrict the release of payments to member association.
b) order the suspension of all new payments to the member association concerned until further notice.
c) order the Fifa general secretariat or a third party mandated by the Fifa general secretariat to inspect and audit the member association concerned at any time. The member association shall provide full access to accounts, any kind of contracts and all other significant documents such as meeting minutes. Any such audit shall be conducted at Fifa’s expense.
d) order the member association concerned to repay the received amounts to Fifa.
ZIFA executive committee member in charge of finance, Philemon Machana, recently said they used part of the US$500 000 FIFA Forward Funds and US$200 000 annual grant from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and will replace the money once they receive the Covid-19 relief funds from the world and continental football governing bodies.
-0- PANA VAO 24Aug2020
