Veron Mosengo-Omba: Caf says secretary general faces no action over bank payments

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) says its deputy leader Veron Mosengo-Omba will not face legal action after an investigation by the Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office into payments made to bank accounts in the country.

Mosengo-Omba, who hails from DR Congo but also holds Swiss nationality, had denied any wrongdoing and met with the prosecutor’s office in the canton of Fribourg in November to answer questions.

When the preliminary investigation was announced in October, he said on social media, external that the payments related to “remuneration and bonus” he had received from Caf since becoming general secretary and that they were made in “full transparency” and “full compliance with Caf statutes”.

Having previously worked for football’s world governing body Fifa, Mosengo-Omba was appointed general secretary in March 2021 following the election of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as Caf’s president.

The pair have often talked about their ambition to improve the organisation’s reputation when it comes to integrity and governance, with Mosengo-Omba previously telling BBC Sport Africa that the organisation was “toxic” before their arrival.

Responding to the news that Mosengo-Omba faces no action in Switzerland, Caf said it was “pleased that there continues to be adherence and compliance within Caf and the Caf secretariat, with the culture and commitment to ethics, transparency and governance that was introduced since the presidency of Dr Patrice Motsepe”.

The Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office in Fribourg has been contacted for comment.

Motsepe urges resolution to misconduct claims

Mosengo-Omba, however, is still waiting for the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Caf announced in August that the alleged breach of its internal governance and auditing regulations would be investigated by an external firm.

However, the Guardian then reported that Caf’s own audit and compliance committee had accused Mosengo-Omba of trying to “whitewash” the investigation by appointing the auditors himself.

In response to the claims of misconduct, Mosengo Omba said in July: “My efforts to turn around and regularise this institution, which has been disrespected at times, are being sabotaged by an out-of-the-blue report containing grievances without documented proof.

“The planned independent investigation will expose the falsity and origin of this report.”

With the investigation now ongoing for six months, BBC Sport Africa understands that Motsepe has written to Caf’s executive committee urging them to bring about a resolution.