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COUNTY NEWS Community
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VOL 8 NO.606
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014
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CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA
MARKET BUYING AND SELLING RATES
LIBERIAN DOLLARS PER US DOLLAR
These are indicative rates based on results of daily surveys of
the foreign exchange market in Monrovia and its environs. The
rates are collected from the Forex Bureaux and the commercials
banks. The rates are not set by the Central Bank of Liberia.
Source: Research, Policy and Planning Department, Central Bank Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia
TUESDAY, MAY20, 2014 L$84.00/US$1 L$85.00/US$1
BUYING SELLING
L$84.00/US$1 L$85.00/US$1
L$85.00/US$1 L$84.00/US$1
MONDAY, MAY26, 2014
TUESDAY, MAY27, 2014
News Extra pg. 12
NEW KRU TOWN TOPS POWER THEFT
LEC RED ALERT
As I said over 300 meters were removed from over 40 light poles, this
translates into 90 percent of revenues loss. And each day in New Kru
Town, LEC losses almost US$ 4,000.00 and our meters get damaged
in the process. Vamunyah Sheriff Executive Director, LEC
BANDA OFFICIALLY OUT
SPORTS World News


Paynesville City Council Provides Free
Medical Care for Residents at Sixteen
Medical Centers
GIVING
BACK
LIBERIA OUT
OF AFCON
Lesotho capitalizes on home advantage to advance
with 2-0 win over Liberia; 2-1 aggregate
Peter Mutharika has been sworn in
as Malawi's president after the High
Court rejected a request for a recount
following allegations of vote-rigging.
MITTAL
DEDICATES
SCHOOL
IN BASSA
Page 2 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com
Monrovia -
J
ust days before the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil,
The Sunday Times of London has unleashed leaked secret
documents detailing how Mr. Mohamed Bin Hammam,
who was the President of the Asian Football Confederation
and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee at the time of
the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup in December 2010,
utilized a systematic campaign to win support for Qatar 2022
in Africa to the tune of more than $5 million from slush funds.
In the wake of the scandal, Bin Hammam was booted out of
FIFA in a bribery scandal involving then-Concacaf president
Jack Warner as he sought to win support in the Caribbean for his
bid to unseat FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Bin Hammam sought to secure support from the African voters,
lobbying them on junkets at which he showered them with gifts,
lucrative benefts, private jet travel and extraordinary hospitality.
Emails, faxes, accounts and dozens of bank transfer slips show
he bought support across the continent by handing out hundreds
of thousands of pounds in cash to African football offcials and
making payments directly into their personal bank accounts.
The money was paid from a series of slush funds controlled by
his Kemco construction company, including his own and his
daughters bank accounts.
Buying support across Africa, according to the report, was
central to Bin Hammams strategy because the members of CAF
exerted collective infuence over how its block of four Exco
members should vote. Several of the offcials he paid held seats
on CAFs ruling executive committee and another nine currently
sit on standing committees of the Fifa executive.
In Liberia, Izetta Wesley, then candidate for the LFA presidency
received US$10,000 from Bin Hamann and showed her
appreciation to after Qatar won the bid: I had a wonderful time
and was previledge [sic] to sea [sic] that part of the world, she
wrote in a leaked email. I will always cherish these memories.
Thanks for all the beautiful gifts. Similar amounts were also
paid to football associations in Africa. The funds were paid
directly into her account.
The damning part of the report in the Times, appearing behind
a paid subscription wall, obtained by FrontPageAfrica, details
how a "senior fgure" inside the footballs world governing body
decided to "blow the whistle" on Qatar 2022.
The leaked documents include emails from Liberias football
legend George Weah, the only African international to win
the Ballon d'Or, and Lenn Eugene Nagbe, a former Secretary
General of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change and
current minister of Youth and Sports to bin Hammam's assistant,
providing Weahs banking account information -- a Bank of
America account in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Weah writes in an email dated January 25, 2010: I write
because after meeting with the President [bin Hammam], he told
me to pass on my contact and bank details information to you
urgently.
The Nagbe communication(unedited) reads:
Follow-up-up to the conversation with George Weah & Eugne
Nagbe
From: Eugene Nagbe
To: Najeeb Chirakal
Cc: George Weah
Sent: January 25, 2010 9:20:50 PM
Mr. President:
I really was a pleasure speaking with you earlier today through
Mr. Weah. Since we last me in Doha a couple of years ago, I was
pleased to have spoken to you again.
Regarding the matter you discussed with Weah, please be
assured that all of us, mostly Mr. Weah, hold you in a very very
high esteem and will remain loyal to you because of all you have
done for the development of football in the world. George gas
repeatedly spoken of his support for our future plans in world
football and we all look forward to your ascendency.
On the issue with the Liberia FA, we will do what we have to
do to support the candidate, Mr. President, the FA elections
has been so much politicized that various political factions and
parties support and candidate. The issue with the incumbent is
that the other leading candidate has launched a very high profle
campaign which has put her on the back foot and her campaign
is suffering. With Georges infuence, we will have to work very
fast as the elections is less than couple of months away.
I spoke to George further today and informed him that we
will need to inject additional cash into the ladys campaign if
we are to make the impact we need to make. Conservatively,
an amount of about USD 50, 000 will be needed additionally
to lock the election down because Izetta was really behind the
candidate which being supported by the political party of the
government.
George will also have to fy to Liberia at least twice before the
elections.
Please be assured Mr. President, that this is just a step in the
bigger scheme of things to come. George have lined up most of
the other former stars and the federations in Africa and South
America so that when we are ready, your victory will be assured.
I suggest that since George is in Doha with you, both of you
conclude on this so that we can start moving right away as time
is not on our side.
Look forward to seeing you again.
Thanks,
Eugene
Weah, who was due back in Monrovia Saturday, was not
available for a response as his phone was switched off. But
Nagbe, when contacted Sunday, provided FrontPageAfrica with
an email response he says he also provided to the Sunday Times
but which he says was not included in the Times report.
Nagbe acknowledges Meetings
The Times inquired from Nagbe whether he requested $US50,000
for Izetta Wesley's campaign to be re-elected as president of the
Liberian Liberia Football Association(LFA). A sum of the same
amount was subsequently deposited in Mr. Weah's account. Did
you consider such a payment inappropriate or even corrupt? I
am writing for Sunday's newspaper and would be grateful for
a response by the end of today, the Times senior reporter, Jon
Ungoed-Thomas wrote.
In his response, Nagbe explained that in 2009, he and Weah and
had a series of discussions with Mr. Bin Hammam, centering
on Mr. Bin Hammam's desire to contest for the Presidency of
FIFA and his request to have Mr. Weah support this ambition.
Nagbe said Weah acquiesced and promised to canvass when Mr.
Hammam puts himself forward.
Noted Nagbe: I did send an email to Mr. Hammam on behalf of
Mr. Weah for him to support Mrs. Izzetta Wesley's campaign to
get re-elect as Presisent of the Liberian FA as part of a grander
scheme to harness the support of progressive, reform minded
individuals in furtherance of Mr. Hammam's quest to ascend to
the helm of FIFA and effect positive change there. The request
for support to Mrs. Wesley was never a part of any scheme to
get Qatar awarded the 2022 World cup. Subsequent events have
proven that as neither Mr. Weah nor Madam Wesley cast or
infuenced the vote for the award of 2022 to Qatar.
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~

SEE page 3
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 3
I write because after meeting with the President [bin Hammam], he told me to
pass on my contact and bank details information to you urgently. An email
communication from George Weah to bin Hammam's assistant, Najeeb Chirakal
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~

US$10K FOR WESLEY
I
n Liberia, Izetta Wesley, then candidate for
the LFA presidency received US$10,000
from Bin Hamann and showed her
appreciation to after Qatar won the bid: I
had a wonderful time and was previledge [sic]
to sea [sic] that part of the world, she wrote
in a leaked email. I will always cherish these
memories. Thanks for all the beautiful gifts.
Similar amounts were also paid to football
associations in Africa. The funds were paid
directly into her account.

SCANDAL HIGHLIGHTS
The fles, compiled by analyzing an electronic database
of hundreds of millions of emails, accounts and other
documents, unlock the mystery of how a tiny desert state
with no football infrastructure won the right to host the
worlds biggest sporting tournament. This week they reveal
how Bin Hammam:
Used 10 slush funds controlled by his private
company and cash handouts to make dozens of payments
of up to $200,000 into accounts controlled by the presidents
of 30 African football associations who held sway over how
the continents four executive (Exco) members would vote
Hosted a series of lavish junkets for football
presidents across Africa at which he handed out almost
$400,000 in cash and met delegates privately to offer further
payments while pushing for their support for the Qatar bid
Paid out at least 305,000 in legal and private
detective fees for Reynald Temarii, the disgraced Oceania
Exco member, after he was suspended for telling undercover
reporters that he had been offered $12m for his vote. Temarii
refused to resign as an Exco member, thus preventing his
planned replacement from voting for Qatars rival Australia
in 2022 and England in 2018
Funnelled more than $1.6m directly into bank
accounts controlled by Jack Warner, the Exco member for
Trinidad and Tobago, including $450,000 before the vote
Used his position in charge of Fifas Goal
Programme funds to channel $800,000 to the Ivory Coast
FA, whose Exco member Jacques Anouma agreed to push
very hard the bid of Qatar. He also signed off two payments
of $400,000 each to the federations of two other voters
Hosted Issa Hayatou, the president of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF), on a lavish junket
in Doha at which delegates were lobbied over the 2022
bid. A month later the Qatar bid committee announced an
exclusive $1m deal to sponsor CAFs annual congress in
Angola, preventing rival countries including Australia from
lobbying key fgures from the continent.

Nagbe however said he was
not aware that the request
for fnancial support to Mrs.
Wesley's campaign was ever
made to Mr. Weah. I have
spoken to Mr. Weah who
has informed me that he had
availed all records of his
fnances to an earlier inquiry
by FIFA and that he has
always acted with integrity
and prudence. George Weah
is a genuine hero of the world
and African game. He is a
legend and a quintessential
iconic footballer whose
contribution to the global
game on and off the pitch
has remained exemplary and
irreproachable. It is my worry
that your investigation of the
award of 2022 to Qatar is
now being skewed towards
a vainglorius assailment of
the reputation of this great
football legend purely to ft
a pre-designed narrative that
England was cheated by and
through a grand conspiracy.
Fifas rules ban bid
committees, or any of their
associates, from providing
to Fifa or any representative
of Fifa ... any monetary gifts
[or] any kind of personal
advantage that could give
even the impression of
exerting infuence, or confict
of interest, either directly or
indirectly, in connection with
the bidding process ... and any
beneft, opportunity, promise,
remuneration or service to
any such individuals, in
connection with the bidding
process.
The revelations threaten to
engulf Fifa as it prepares to
gather for its annual congress
in Brazil on June 10 ahead of
the World Cup.
Much of that investigation
is confrmed in the Sunday
Times investigation as it
determined bin Hammam used
AFC accounts to access cash
and his private construction
company, Kemco, to funnel
money to African offcials
seeking handouts.
Bin Hammam's goal was to
gain a groundswell of support
in Africa for the Qatar 2022
campaign so that the four
executive committee members
would have no choice but to
support Qatar 2022. Before
the vote, Amos Adamu of
Nigeria was suspended after
being caught in a Sunday
Times sting operation. The
other three Africans were
Cameroonian Issa Hayatou,
Egyptian Hany Abu Rida and
Ivorian Jacques Anouma.
The Sunday Times said the
Qatari bid committee was
aware of the efforts to court
African delegations on trips
to Doha though it was not
clear how much it knew
about payments beyond travel
expenses.
Qatar won the vote of the FIFA
executive committee by 14-8.
It has pushed ahead with its
plans for the 2022 World Cup
though FIFA has yet to decide
when to hold the tournament
-- summer or winter.
Despite suggestions of a
re-vote on the 2022 host,
few believe it will take
place without compelling
evidence that the Qatar
2022 bid committee was
directly involved in payoffs
to members of the executive
committee. FIFA investigator
Michael Garcia is scheduled
to meet with Qatar 2022 bid
committee offcials this week.
It is not clear whether that
meeting will go ahead in light
of the new revelations.
The scandal is already
heightening calls for the
World Cup bid to be taken
away from Qatar. Football
chiefs, politicians and anti-
corruption experts, according
to the Times are calling
for the competition for the
2022 World Cup to be rerun.
Alexandra Wrage, a former
member of Fifas independent
governance committee, said
the evidence was a smoking
gun.
John Whittingdale, chairman
of the Commons culture
committee, said: There is
now an overwhelming case
that the decision as to where
the World Cup should be held
in 2022 should be run again.
The disclosures come as the
Qatar 2022 bid committee is
facing a showdown with Fifas
top investigator, Michael
Garcia, in Oman. Sources
say Garcia will interview the
Qatar bid committee face to
face for the frst time during
his two-year investigation
into alleged corruption in the
bidding contests for the 2018
and 2022 World Cups.
Facing pressure to rerun the
bid, Sepp Blatter, the Fifa
president, admitted last month
that it had been a mistake to
hand the tournament to Qatar
after Fifas technical assessors
had said a Doha World Cup
would be high risk because
the searing desert temperatures
of up to 50C could be harmful
to the players.
Bin Hammam declined to
respond to correspondence
and calls last week. His
son emailed The Sunday
Times to say that he and the
family would not comment.
Members of the Qatar bid
committee denied any link to
Bin Hammam and said he had
played no secret role in their
campaign. They said they had
no knowledge of any payments
he had made and they had no
involvement in any improper
conduct, the Times reported.
Page 4 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~
Jon Ungoed-Thomas, The Sunday Times of London
A
nyone strolling on the lawns in the tropical sunshine might have seen the neat fgure of Mohammed
Meshadi one of the Qatari football chiefs most trusted aides slipping through the palms at
the entrance to the glinting glass-fronted AFC building.
Click on the hyperlinks to read the supporting documents
Follow all the breaking news and reaction to this story on Sunday here
Meshadi was there to collect a package containing $100,000 in crisp banknotes withdrawn from expense
accounts controlled by Bin Hammam in his role as president of the AFC.
Insiders say Bin Hammam ran the AFC like a personal fefdom and had no qualms about draining its coffers
of cash when the occasion demanded it. And this was a special occasion.
The debonair Qatari had invited the leaders of 25 African football associations to come to Kuala Lumpur on
an all-expenses-paid junket and he was determined to make a favourable impression.
Accounts seen by The Sunday Times show a total of $200,000 was withdrawn to provide cash advances for
CAF guests in the 48 hours before the visitors arrived.
CAF is the Confdration Africaine de Football, the sports governing body in Africa, which is dominated by
Francophone west African countries such as Cameroon and Togo.
The visitors, who received their spending money and gifts as they arrived, were treated to a trip to the
exquisite Malaysian coastal resort of Malacca.
Even Izetta Wesley, the formidable Liberian Football Association president known to her colleagues as the
Iron Lady was uncharacteristically gushing in her appreciation afterwards.
I had a wonderful time and was previledge [sic] to sea [sic] that part of the world, she wrote in a leaked
email. I will always cherish these memories. Thanks for all the beautiful gifts.
Cash handouts and gifts were not all that was on offer. The correspondence shows that after the delegates left,
Bin Hammam ordered his fnance staff to transfer direct payments to Anjourin Moucharafou, the president of
the Benin FA and a CAF executive committee member, and three other delegates.
Qatars bid to host the World Cup in 2022 was not due to be submitted formally until March 2009, but it was
vital to shore up support behind the scenes well in advance.
Another junket was organiZed in Kuala Lumpur only four months after the frst. This time the African football
chiefs were invited to bring their wives and daughters.
Meshadi was dispatched to AFC headquarters to collect another stack of dollar bills. Internal spreadsheets
show that the visitors and their companions were to be presented with $5,000 each when they arrived,
amounting to $195,000 in total.
A set of gifts was also prepared for each guest and packed up in Nike holdalls that were left in their fve-star
hotel rooms.
Among the guests on the list in line for Bin Hammams benefcence was Lydia Nsekera, who was then the
president of the Burundi FA and is now the frst female member of Fifas powerful executive committee
(Exco).
Forty guests were treated to a private cruise on the blue expanse of Putrajaya Lake, south of Kuala Lumpur.
Moving among them was Amadou Diallo, a French-speaking west African who acted as Bin Hammams
trusted bagman. Time was made for each of the delegates to have a private meeting with the Qatari.
Moucharafou of Benin was there again and the thank you email he sent to Bin Hammam afterwards brings to
the forefront the role of Issa Hayatou, the powerful Cameroonian who had been president of CAF since 1987
and was one of Africas four Exco members with votes on who would get the 2022 World Cup. Hayatou has
repeatedly shrugged off allegations of corruption and remains in offce today.
Your engagement in a partnership that is of proft to Africa next to President Issa Hayatou is for me a positive
reinforcement of our future actions, Moucharafou wrote.
Soon afterwards, Hayatous vice-president at CAF, General Seyi Memene of Togo, was paid $22,400 by Bin
Hammam to fund a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for himself and his wife.
Requests continued to roll in. The president of the Swaziland FA and former senator, Adam Bomber
Mthethwa, emailed Bin Hammam to thank him for an unforgettable visit to Kuala Lumpur.
He went on: I am in dire need of fnance in the region of $30,000. This arises from the fact that Ive just
retired from politics and my gratuity will only be paid to me when I reach the age of 55 in 2010. The
documents do not record the Qataris response, though he forwarded the email to be dealt with by his private
staff.
Bin Hammans next step was to build on the goodwill he had bought. In February 2009 he travelled to the
CAF congress in Lagos, Nigeria. The emails show special care was taken to ensure that bagman Diallo was
accommodated in the same hotel where the delegates [are] staying.
A month later the Qatari football association formally registered its bid to host the World Cup, entering the
race against the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
The rewards of the groundwork Bin Hammam had so carefully laid in Africa with Diallos help were apparent
as soon as the bid became public. Fadoul Houssein, the president of the Djibouti football association, emailed
Bin Hammam the same day, ready to sign up for the fght and to bring east Africa onside.
I was very pleased with you when I heard this news with our brother Diallo, he wrote. I am ready to
go with you to the end. Im sure that Somalia, the Comoros ... Sudan, Yemen [not a member of CAF] and
Djibouti will support us. Count on me. I am already starting the war and I am sure you will win.
He was right: the football leaders of those countries all became close allies of Bin Hammam and were
rewarded for their loyalty. Houssein himself solicited payments of more than $30,000 to fund expensive
medical treatment for his associations general secretary.
The Somali football association had $100,000 paid into its bank account. When Sudans association asked for
help paying for its general assembly, Bin Hammams staff asked it to provide bank details.
The Yemeni football association was paid just under $10,000 and emails show Bin Hammams staff arranging
another bank transfer to the Comoros, the island group off east Africa that, like Djibouti, is a former French
colony.
WHEN Bin Hammam turned up at Fifas annual congress at Nassau in the Bahamas in June 2009, he was
ready to step up his campaign to cement the loyalty of his African brothers. The emails show he met a string
LIBERIA LINKED

The story of Mohamed bin Hammams secret campaign to bring the World Cup to
the Gulf began on a humid June morning in 2008, at the headquarters of the Asian
Football Confederation in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
of CAF delegates in private to discuss their fnancial needs. After the congress, Seedy Kinteh, the president
of the Gambia football association, emailed Bin Hammam: I really need your brotherly help again as per
discussed in Bahamas and I hereby provide you with the full bank details that you can use for any transfer.
Just 10 days later another email dropped into Bin Hammams inbox from Kinteh. Many thanks indeed for
your recent mail disclosing to me the transfer of $10,000, the Gambian wrote. I must frst of all express
my profound gratitude to you for this very wounderful [sic] brotherly gesture that you have once again
demonstrated.
Kinteh said he was sure the money would go a long way to develop the skills of Gambias players although
the payment had gone into his own bank account. He signed off: I have every reason to be grateful and indeed
my President and Brother I AM !!!!
Manuel Dende, the Sao Tome FA president, emailed Bin Hammam after meeting him in Nassau, asking for
$232,000 to be paid into his personal bank account, ostensibly to build artifcial football pitches in his country.
Perhaps the request for so much money was considered a touch audacious as Bin Hammam faxed a copy of
it to his staff with the scrawled instruction: I want to transfer $60,000 to this federation. The money was
not immediately forthcoming and when Dende was eventually emailed with news that he had been paid only
$50,000, his response was curt.
Ok, tks, he replied.
Liberias Iron Lady was more easily gratifed. She received $10,000 into her personal bank account and
responded: Ive received the transfer. Please convey my thanks and appreciations to Mohamed. May the
Almighty Allah replenish his resources a hundred fold. I am so happy that I have a brother and friend that I
can always depend on.
The Ivory Coast football association fefdom of Jacques Anouma, a key fgure as he had a vote on Exco
received 22,000 from one of Bin Hammams private slush funds, while the president of the Moroccan
association, Said Belkhayat, received a payment straight into his personal bank account. The document trail
does not show what this money was spent on.
Back in Qatar, the offcial team for the 2022 bid campaign was taking shape.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani, the young son of the emir, had been anointed as chairman of the bid
committee, while Hassan al- Thawadi, 31, the rake-thin, general counsel of Qatars sovereign wealth fund,
had been brought in as chief executive.
His more rotund deputy was Ali al-Thawadi, described by those who have met him as surlier than his silver-
tongued namesake.
When their appointment was announced in September 2009, Ali al-Thawadi had just returned from Kuala
Lumpur where he and three other members of the bid team had been entertained by Bin Hammam as special
guests.
The Qatari grandee several decades older than the bids fresh-faced leaders had evidently impressed the
younger men with his efforts to curry favour with his African brotherhood.
One of the committees frst moves was to set the ball rolling for another lavish junket for the CAF presidents
hosted by Bin Hammam this time in Doha, the Qatari capital, in December 2009.
The emails show how Bin Hammams team worked closely with the offcial committee in organising the
junket.
Hassan and Ali al-Thawadi were with Bin Hammam in November 2009 at the Asian Champions League fnal
in Tokyo.The following month Ali al-Thawadi emailed Najeeb Chirakal, Bin Hammams right-hand man at
his private offce in Doha, asking for a list of all CAF federations [sic] visiting doha [sic] high lighting the
ones who confrmed up to date and updating it on a daily basis as confrmations are received from them.
Chirakal and bagman Diallo arranged for 35 African football association presidents and three key Exco
voters to fy to Doha business class in groups throughout December and stay at the pyramid-shaped Sheraton
hotel on the shores of the Gulf in the citys exclusive West Bay area.
Just before the guests began arriving, Bin Hammams staff paid $50,000 straight into the bank account of
Kalusha Bwalya, the president of the Zambian football association. The former Zambian winger had written
to Bin Hammam in October to ask for about 50 thousand dollars for my football association and personal
expenditures.
Hayatou, the Cameroonian overlord of African football, was the frst to arrive with his wife on December 6,
followed by Amos Adamu, the Nigerian Exco member. Five days earlier, payments of $400,000 each had been
channelled to their national federations from the Fifa Goal Programme fund controlled by Bin Hammam. The
money was earmarked for works on their headquarters.
Jacques Anouma, the Exco member for Ivory Coast, also arrived and was not left out of the Goal Programme
spending spree: his federation had already received $400,000 and was granted another $400,000 the next year.
Payments came from an account in the name of Bin Hammams daughter, Aisha
Bin Hammam is likely to face questions about the confict of interest in his position as chairman of the Goal
Programme fund while secretly lobbying recipients of the cash to support the Qatar bid.
Ali Al-Thawadi presided anxiously over the arrangements for the Doha junket, repeatedly asking Chirakal in
Bin Hammams offce to send him the latest list of delegates who were expected, wanting to know the details
of the programme arranged for them and instructing him to forward the invoices for all the fights and hotel
rooms to the bid for payment.
Please forward me the fnal list of CAF delegation arrival and departure. The full cost of their fight expenses
and accommodation. The full program that has been arranged for them in their visit in Qatar, he wrote on
December 16.
He wrote again at the end of the month: Please provide us with the invoices regarding the African [sic] FAs
visit last week from the accommodation and the travelling expenses in order to not delay those payments.
It is clear evidence of the closeness between Bin Hammams secret operation and the offcial Qatari bid
committee. The leaders of the bid will now be called upon to explain how much they knew about Bin
Hammams covert campaign to buy support for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
They deny all knowledge of payments he made and say they were not involved in any such conduct and had
no secret role in the bid.
Very little detail has survived about the hospitality the delegates enjoyed on the junket.What the documents
do show beyond doubt is that Bin Hammam used the junket to hold a series of private meetings with the
delegates at which he lobbied them to throw their support behind Qatars bid at the same time as offering them
handsome payments.
David Fani, president of the Botswana football association, emailed Bin Hammam afterwards to say how
impressed he had been by Qatars preparations for the 2022 bid.
I have no doubt that your country will be ready for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and, even without a vote, I
pledge my support to you in this respect. If there is anything that I can do, no matter how small, to assist your
course, I would be happy to oblige, he wrote.
I will write to you in the new year concerning assistance to Botswana Football Association as per our
discussion of 21st December 2009.
John Muinjo, president of the Namibian football association, also emailed Bin Hammam to express his
enthusiasm for the Qatar bid at a price.
Kindly take note that Namibia football association will always be behind you in its unequivocal support at all
times, he wrote. He then added: Dear President, allow me to sign off by humbly requesting you for the 2022
bid committee to consider as we discussed the legacy of putting up an artifcial turf in the densely populated
area of the north of Namibia which will positively score you points in the fnal analysis as you embark upon
the mammoth task of securing the bid for vibrant Qatar in 2022.
We would want to be assisted with a once off fnancial assistance to the tune of U$50-000 for the 2010 season
to run our second division leagues that went crippled by the prevailing global economic melt down.
Bin Hammam responded personally: I really appreciate your kind support to Qatar Bid for 2022 World Cup
... As far as the request made by Namibia Football Association, I will see that it will be delivered as soon as
possible.
Anouma of Ivory Coast was just as enthusiastic. His secretary-general, Idriss Diallo, wrote to Bin Hammam
after the junket: My president Jacques Anouma ask me to think about a strategy to help his very good friend
President Bin Hammam. So ... I send you in this mail a proposal to push very hard the Bid of Qatar 2022.
Anouma followed up with his own email: After my recent stay in Doha at your invitation, I would like to
express all my thanks and gratitude for the fraternal welcome you reserved for my wife and I and members
of our federation.
I want to tell you how much I appreciate your availability and your attention vis--vis African federations
hereof. It is no doubt that the Doha meeting will contribute to tighten the bonds of friendship and brotherhood
between, frst, the African federations and your confederation, and secondly, between yourself and leaders of
African football.
He went on: I would like to assure you of my desire to ensure that the discussions we had together during this
stay translate into concrete action. I would ask you to convey to His Highness the Emir of Qatar my sincere
SEE page 5
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 5
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~

thanks and expression of my deep respect." THE extent to which Bin Hammam and the Qatari bid committee
had beguiled Africas football barons became clear immediately.
Amos Adamu, the Nigerian member of Fifas executive committee
On January 7, 2010, just days after the last of the delegates had returned home from the Doha junket, CAF
announced that it had struck a $1m deal for the Qatar 2022 bid committee to sponsor its annual congress in
Angola at the end of the month. The secretary-general emailed to all the other bid committees: Kindly note
that CAF has signed an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Qatar 2022 for the CAF Congress 2010, which
as a consequence means that no other bidding nations for the Fifa World Cup will be allowed to make any
presentations at the Congress.
However, your delegation and representatives will be allowed to attend as observers, but without the
possibility to organise press conferences, distribute any promotional material or erect stands to that effect
within the venue and its vicinity on that day.
The announcement sparked fury among the other bidding nations which had intended to attend in order to
promote their own proposals for the 2022 Cup. It was a masterstroke by Qatar in its strategy to use its fnancial
muscle to lock down the four African votes.
Bin Hammam travelled to the congress in Angola with his bagman Diallo and the entire Qatar 2022 bid
committee including Ali Al-Thawadi, who was also looking for proposals to buy favour.
He offered $1m to Samson Adamu, the son of Nigerias Exco member, to host a dinner in South Africa for
African football legends.
As The Sunday Times later revealed, the deal would have allowed the recipient to cream off a huge proft on
a dinner that would have cost only about $200,000 to host. However, the Qataris claimed they never actually
paid the money after consulting Fifas rules, and Adamu said that the deal had fallen through.
This newspapers evidence was passed to Michael Garcia, Fifas chief ethics investigator, and forms part of
his continuing probe into vote-buying.
The Fifa fles prove that the Legends Dinner was not the only deal on offer at the time of the Angola congress.
George Weah, the former Liberian and English Premier League striker and one-time Fifa world footballer of
the year, emailed Chirakal his bank details on the eve of the conference: I write because after meeting with
the President, he told me to pass on my contact and bank details information to you urgently.
Later that day Bin Hammam received a personal email from one of Weahs associates, Eugene Nagbe, a
prominent Liberian politician.
George has repeatedly spoken of his support for our future plans in world football and we all look forward to
your ascendency, he wrote, adding that conservatively, an amount of about USD 50,000 will be needed ...
to lock the election down for Liberias Iron Lady, Izetta Wesley.
Please be assured Mr President, that this is just a step in the bigger scheme of things to come. George have
lined up most of the other former stars and the federations in Africa and South America so that when we are
ready, your victory will be assured.
The next month $50,000 was paid into Weahs personal bank account by one of Bin Hammams slush funds,
ostensibly for his school fees.
Other delegates contacted Bin Hammam after the congress in equally gushing terms hoping for payoffs.
Muinjo, the Namibian FA boss, wrote: Your delegation and their presentations left a lasting impression on the
African continent. I have gathered from my many colleagues and I can confrm that too.
I have also congratulated the Bid 2022 Ceo, Mr Hassan Al-Thawadi afterwards through e-mail
correspondences. Mr President, I am drafting these few lines as a follow up to our discussion with regard to
the fnancial assistance please.
Seedy Kinteh of Gambia, who wrote to say he was having problems paying for his federations annual
congress, received a remittance slip from Chirakal showing a transfer of $10,000 into his personal bank
account from Bin Hammams daughters account.
Ahmed Darw, the president of the Madagascar football association, said Bin Hammam had promised to give
me a help with his own re-election. Asked by Chirakal how he would like the money paid, he provided two
options: by bank swift or I can take it in Paris with ... Diallo.
The next big event on the horizon was the World Cup in South Africa in June-July 2010. With under six
months to go before the 2022 winner would be chosen, Bin Hammams generosity increased. Flying in to
Johannesburg with his henchmen Diallo and Meshadi, he instructed his staff to pick up the bill for all his
guests. One email shows that Bin Hammam bought 60 tickets costing about $3,800 and had them delivered
to Hayatou, Cameroons Exco member, at the fve-star Michelangelo hotel in Johannesburg. Records of Bin
Hammams spending in the city show that he splurged $3,482 for dinner for Exco members and a further
$4,331 on rooms for Exco member.
During the tournament, Abdiqani Said Arab, Somali footballs general secretary, emailed Chirakal his
federations bank details. Sure enough, $100,000 was paid from Bin Hammam's daughters account.
Diallo, staying with African delegates as usual, put in a request for $50,000 to be paid to the Niger FA from the
same account just after the tournament, and 10,000 was sent to Aboubacar Bruno Bangoura, then Guinean
FA president.
Bin Hammams loyal champion, Houssein of Djibouti, asked him to foot the bill for his wife and children
to spend Ramadan in Doha and Chirakal was duly instructed to book them a suite in a hotel overlooking the
Gulf. All the charges were to be settled by the Qatar FA. The month after their return, Houssein emailed Bin
Hammam: I think we have very good chance for to win the organisation WORLD CUP 2022 IN CHALLAH
[sic].
ONCE the blare of the World Cup vuvuzelas had died away in South Africa, Bin Hammam embarked on an
even harder push to assure himself of the support of Africas four Exco voters in a rapid succession of direct
secret meetings.
He few Adamu of Nigeria and his Egyptian Exco colleague Hany Abu Rida to Doha by business class on
August 15 and paid for their executive suites at the fve-star Sheraton hotel. Anouma of the Ivory Coast was
due to join them but was detained at the last minute by a political crisis at home.
Less than a fortnight later Bin Hammam few on the emirs private jet to Cairo to collect the African kingpin,
Hayatou of Cameroon, and bring him back to Doha.
Then, on September 3, he arranged for the leaders of the Qatari bid committee to fy with him on the royal jet
to the Cameroonian capital, Yaound, to meet Hayatou again on his home ground.
Yet another private meeting was set up between Bin Hammam and Hayatou in Cairo on September 15. Days
later Bin Hammam was secretly catching up with Anouma in Doha.
However, while the football diplomacy forged ahead, a shock awaited the Qataris. In mid-September, less
than three months before the crucial vote, Fifa inspectors visited Qatar to assess its suitability to host 2022.
The president of Fifa, Sepp Blatter, with vice-president Issa Hayatou (MOHAMED MESSARA)
The emirates ambitious $50m proposal to build collapsible air-conditioned stadiums that would shut out the
searing summer heat would fnally be put to the test.
The visit was a disaster. The inspectors slammed Qatar as a high risk. The technical assessors balked at
the challenges of having to build nine stadiums from scratch and said the ferce desert sun posed a potential
health risk to players.
It was not the only misfortune to befall the Qatari bid that month. Adamu of Nigeria had promised his 2022
vote to Qatar, but Sunday Times undercover reporters caught him offering to sell his 2018 vote for $800,000
and he was suspended by Fifa knocking out a guaranteed backer for Qatar.
The Qataris were undeterred. They batted off the criticism of their bid, insisting their air-conditioned stadiums
would shut out the ferce heat, and rolled out the red carpet for their African brothers one last time. The venue
was a friendly match between Brazil and Argentina in Doha on November 17. Diallo made the arrangements
on Bin Hammams behalf and the guests were luxuriously accommodated in the Ritz Carlton.
After the match Bin Hammams inbox was fooded with messages from his guests. Houssein of Djibouti was
particularly eloquent: If god wills it we will win, president. Thank you for protecting us from all that is bad.
The long wait was nearly over. Bin Hammams two-year campaign of munifcence was about to pay its
dividends.
The leading lights of world football were descending on Zurich to hear who would host the 2018 and 2022
tournaments. The bidding nations felded glittering entourages of football stars, celebrities and statesmen.
David Cameron joined David Beckham and Prince William for Englands last push for 2018.
Chirakal had arranged for the Qatari bid committee and their entourage to stay in magnifcent style at the Baur
au Lac, Zurichs fnest fve-star hotel, running up bills of more than $340,000 which were charged to Hassan
Al-Thawadi at the bid committee. The emails show that Bin Hammam was with them, attending to the fnal
preparations for the bids last stand before the votes were cast.
Qatars fnal presentation to a packed auditorium in Zurich was a slick affair with high-budget promotional
flms and polished performances from a crisp-suited Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani fgurehead
of the Qatari bid and his elegant mother, Sheikha Mozah.
Hassan al-Thawadi, the bid chief executive, made a fnal effort to dismiss the safety concerns raised by Fifas
inspectors. Heat is not and will not be an issue, he promised.
They had no need to break into a sweat, however. As Bin Hammam fled out of the main auditorium to cast his
ballot in secret with his 22 fellow Exco voters, he could congratulate himself on a job well done.
He was confdent of African votes and he had good reason to feel relaxed about the other eight votes that
he would need to win, as we will reveal in coming weeks.
When the the result was announced to a stunned crowd, Bin Hammam was inscrutable. Some in the room,
however, were in on his secret and his correspondence afterwards shows how his friends across Africa
were only too quick to queue up for their rewards. Seedy Kinteh of Gambia emailed Bin Hammam the day
after the vote to congratulate him.
Two days later, he followed up with an email to Bin Hammams assistant: I write to fnd out about the
progress of my appeal concerning the Vehicle. I have already got in my possession a colosal [sic] sum of ten
thousand US dollars ... and any assistance will be of immense value to me.
Kinteh said that he needed the car to travel to football projects in the Gambian countryside. Three months
later, $50,000 was paid to him directly from Bin Hammams daughters account.
Nicholas Musonye, the general secretary of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations
(Cecafa), wrote to Bin Hammam: This is a glorious moment to all of us in our zone and we congratulate you
for the hard work and all the efforts you put in this bid.
Your many years of hard work have been rewarded and you will go down in history books for what you have
achieved for Asia and the people of Qatar.
Two days later he forwarded Cecafas bank details to accompany a request for $200,000 to fund a tournament
in Tanzania. The money was paid.
The requests kept rolling in, but Bin Hammam did not lose patience. He responded to each email from the
African football bosses, thanking them in turn for their invaluable support, and he kept the money fowing.
After all, it had been worth it.
When Izetta Wesley got in touch in the new year with the message, CONGRATULATION for winning your
World Cup Bid, Bin Hammam's response said it all.
Thank you very much for your kind greetings, he wrote to the Iron Lady. I would not have succeeded if not
for the support from friends and believers like you.
Mountain of proof
The Fifa fles contain hundreds of millions of secret documents leaked from the heart of world football by a
senior fgure inside the sports governing body who decided to blow the whistle..
They include emails, faxes, phone records, fight logs, documents and accounts that chart the activities of
Mohamed bin Hammam, the Qatari Fifa vice-president, before and after his countrys 2022 World Cup bid.
The documents originate from several organisations including Bin Hammams private offce in Doha, his
private construction company Kemco, Fifa itself, the Asian Football Confederation, the Qatar FA and the
offces of the Qatar 2022 bid team.
The Sunday Times Insight team has spent two months examining tens of thousands of gigabytes of data using
forensic search technology and a network of offshore supercomputers.
Web of secret funds used to buy support
Bank transfer slips showing dozens of transactions have exposed the 10 secret slush funds used by Mohamed
bin Hammam to buy up support for Qatars World Cup bid.
The Qatari Fifa executive committee (Exco) member made payments to football offcials across Africa out of
a network of bank accounts administered by staff at his private construction company, Kemco.
Most of the payments were made from an account in the name of Bin Hammams adult daughter, Aisha, while
money was also transferred from his own account.
Leaked correspondence shows that Bin Hammam regularly instructed staff at Kemco to transfer money to
African football offcials from the slush funds, using the reference business promotion.
The bank slips show the payments were spread widely between accounts earmarked for a variety of uses at
Kemco, including travel, real estate, creditors, overheads and retention. Bin Hammam has been the
sole owner of Kemco since 1985.
The Fifa fles reveal how Bin Hammam used the sundry accounts of the Asian Football Confederation
(AFC), where he was then president, to make payments to senior football offcials including Jack Warner, the
Exco member for Trinidad and Tobago.
The sundry accounts were also used to withdraw cash to lavish on infuential guests at a series of junkets and
to buy gifts such as tailored suits, a camera, World Cup tickets and luggage for key voters.
An audit of the AFCs accounts by PwC in 2012, after the downfall of Bin Hammam, found that he had used
the accounts interchangeably with his own funds.
The report concluded: It appears that Mr Hammam routinely instructed a signifcant number of purportedly
personal receipts and payments to and from the AFCs bank accounts.
Handful of votes can secure victory
Qatars successful attempt to host the World Cup in 2022 was one of the most controversial coups in footballing
history. Does the voting pattern tell us anything about its success?
In the secret ballot in Zurich on December 2, 2010, 22 members of Fifas executive committee (Exco) chose
between Qatar, Australia, Japan, America and South Korea.
The voting system is known as an exhaustive ballot in which a bidder must obtain an absolute majority.
For any voting round where there is not an absolute majority, the bidder with the lowest votes drops out. The
remaining bidders then enter a new round.
Qatar secured 11 votes in the frst round, the highest of all the bidders. Australia got just one vote and dropped
out.
In the next round Qatar again received the highest number of votes (10). Japan got the lowest (2) and dropped
out. In the third round Qatar had 11 votes, America 6 and South Korea 5. In the fourth and fnal round Qatar
won 14 votes and the US had 8. Qatar was declared the winner.
The way each Exco member voted is secret, so it is impossible to know for sure who backed Qatar. But how
many votes does a country need in its pocket in order to be sure of victory? Not necessarily a majority.
Theoretically, the vote could be swung by just a small number of members who have been unfairly infuenced.
The crucial point is to have enough assured support to avoid elimination in the frst round and block rivals in
later rounds as voters swing towards the frontrunner.
If in the fnal round against America, a minority of eight members genuinely favoured Qatars bid and some
did it would have needed only another four votes to win.
Page 6 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
T
he race for
Montserrado
continues to heat
up as elections
day draws near. The newest
sensation that has shaken the
political balance to its core
is, Mr. Christopher Neyor.
Mr. Neyor is a well-respected
engineer who has worked in
several high level positions
both in the private and public
sectors. He has been head
of the Liberian Electricity
Cooperation (LEC), senior
energy policy advisor to
President Sirleaf, CEO of
NOCAL and is currently
a high fying consultant to
multinational companies and
other global bodies.
"I can tell you for sure that
if Mr. Neyor contests he will
defnitely win. He is not the
talking type but he is well
loved by our people."
Those were the words of a
senior offcial of Government
who begged to not be
mentioned. The offcial
said Mr. Neyor played a
major role in securing the
President's re-election, a role
that is currently being down
played by the President to
please her son. The offcial
went on to tell me of the
strategies Mr. Neyor used to
increase the President's share
of the Montserrado votes.
"His ground game is magical;
he has contacts everywhere
and at all levels of the
communities. Mr. Neyor can
call a street seller, community
leader or Pehn~pehn boy at
any time you need one. He
has been running a micro loan
program for years now and
the market women love him.
If it wasn't for the charm and
philanthropy of Mr. Neyor,
UP would not have managed
to narrow the gap between
it and the CDC as we did in
2011. Neyor is a silent giant
backed by the grassroots, so
never write him off." The
offcial concluded.
That offcial was not the
only one who spoke to me
about the potency of a Neyor
bid for the Montserrado
senatorial seat; other highly
placed sources I spoke to
also confrm the Neyor's
contribution to the President's
reelection bid.
I also went on to talk to
ordinary citizens about the
chances of a Neyor victory in
2017 and I was surprised by
the responses I got especially
from women and people.
One Pehn~pehn rider said
in response to my question,
who would you vote for
this year and why? ~"I am
going to vote my papay,
Neyor, because I am tired
of these politicians." When I
inquired why he did not see
Neyor as a politician, he (The
Pehn~pehn rider) simply said
to me: "Mr. Neyor can fulfll
his promises. He promised
me school fees and he has
never failed to provide it.
That man love people so I like
him." It is very signifcant
that voters do not see Mr.
Neyor as a politician, in
Liberia; politicians are seen
as liars and a self-serving
bunch that never deliver on
their promises. 85 percent
of the people I spoke to for
this article had good things
to say about Mr. Neyor and
promised to vote for him to
become senator this year.
I was shocked and taken by
surprise to fnd this base of
support for Mr. Neyor who
pundits have written off as a
boring technocrat with zero
political skills.
As it turns out, there is
a Neyor undercurrent in
Montserrado that, although
not visible on newspaper and
radio headlines could make
the charming, intelligent and
unassuming engineer senator
of Montserrado.
The slate of candidates also
increase Mr. Neyor's chances
as well, George Weah who
is supposed to be the clear
favorite, is increasingly
being seen as a failed
messiah who has settled for
peanuts from an unpopular
President Sirleaf. There are
very loud rumors that Mr.
George Weah is considering
an offer from Robert Sirleaf
to exit the race in exchange
for badly needed cash. If
that deal goes through it
will make the race a Sirleaf-
Neyor race something that
would work very well in
favor of Mr. Neyor as Mr.
Sirleaf is seen by many
Liberians as a man who
have exploited his privileged
position as the Presidents
son to enrich himself at the
expense of the country. One
caller on my show had this to
say about a possible Robert
Sirleaf senatorial bid: Does
he think this country belongs
THE UNDERCURRENT
Why Christopher Neyor will win Montserrado
FrontPage
v
Commentary
EDITORIAL
IN 2006, AFTER the end of the election of President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, Liberia became a hot ground for investors seeing the infux
of individuals some claiming their willingness to invest billions in
the dormant Liberian economy, which has not seen buoyancy for
more than a decade.
HASTILY CONCESSIONS were ratifed by the 52nd National
Legislature a body that came under continuous allegation of taking
bribes to pass every agreement before the body.
THE OWNER OF ONE of the biggest investments in Liberia, Anil
Agarwal, founder of Vedanta Resources PLC which includes the
fraudulent Elenilto deal, recently publicly mocked some African
countries in this case Zambia for giving its rich copper mine on sale
for cheap.
IN A RECENT YouTube video, Agarwal was seen mocking the
Government of Zambia over concessions he was granted in that
countrys rich copper mines.
THE VIDEO SHOWED Agarwal mocking the Zambian government
on how he was sold Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) at a cheap price
of US$25 million similarly to how Liberia received the short end of
the stick in the controversial Elenilto deal for the coveted Western
Cluster.
THE MOCKERY BY the Indian shows how African leaders are
corrupt and sellout the resources of the continent to foreigners for
cheap. In the end, the resources from Africa make western countries
better while Africans live in abject poverty.
AGARWAL MOCKERY DRAWS parallel with Liberia where
the Indian man and his company managed to have a bid already
announced annulled and turned in their favor.
DELTA MINING ANOTHER foreign mining company had earlier
won the bid for the western cluster in 2007, but after bidding
process, it was characterized by bribery with senior offcials of
government including leaked emails from former Minister of State
Willis Knuckles pointing to bribery in the bidding and awarding
process.
ELENILTO IN 2009 turned out to be winner of the bid and later
signed a 25 years mineral development agreement (MDA) with
the Government of Liberia in August 2011 but now here comes
the owner of the company mocking Africans about selling their
resources for cheap.
LIKE THE CASE of Zambia shortly after Elenilto signed the
agreement with the Government in 2009 in August of 2011 and on
the same day it signed the MDA sold 51 percent of it to Sesa Goa
Verdanta, an Indian company listed on the London Stock Exchange
for 90 million dollars. In less than six months after the initial
sale, Elenilto bailed out by selling the remainder of the Western
Cluster for U.S $33.5 million in cash to the Vedanta Resources PLC
company
NOW THE BIG QUESTION lingering is how this Indian his
company sailed through Liberia which is known amongst some
of the corrupt countries in the world, signing such big deal with
the Government and later trading on the stock exchange for much
higher price.
THIS IS JUST A classical example of how African resources have
become a curse with the continents population living desperate life
in the midst of abundant natural resources.
NOW THE FIGHT in Liberia has turned to the sale of oil blocks
after already signing all the agreements for concessions in the
mining and forest sector.
THE OIL BLOCKS WILL once again be sold out to these foreign
investors for cheap who will in turn sell and reap the beneft while
sitting in luxury at the expense of the suffering Liberian population.
A WHILE AGO, the Wologizi Mountain was the center of attraction
for another Indian investor, Jindal and although the deal is yet to
be fnalized but from all indications, getting concessions signed
in Liberia is no big work anyway, as a few dollars can get the
work done with Jindal hoping to use the techniques used by other
investors to make its way to the Wologizi belt.
ARCELOR MITTAL FAST-TRACKED the signing of its
concession agreement after providing each member of the 52nd
National Legislature a pickup which does not even cost US$40,000
on the world market and the company is today shipping iron ores
out of Liberia.
YESTERDAY IT WAS THE time of the 52nd National Legislature
now it is the 53rd and they are also signing and ratifying oil
agreements with fast speed, majority of Liberias offshore oil blocks
have all gone to foreign companies.
WHAT MORE, CAN BE done to safe Africa including countries
like Liberia from the greed and cruelty of its leaders in selling
out our resources for cheap and allowing western countries to
develop using our resources while our African countries remain
underdeveloped and its people impoverished.
COMMENTARY
MOCKING
CORRUPT AFRICAN
LEADERS
Indian Investor revelation Not
Strange to Liberia
to him and his mom? We
will not vote for any Sirleaf
again! He, Robert Sirleaf
have sold all our resources
to foreigners and enriched
himself with no beneft for us
the ordinary people. We will
not vote him period!
Mr. Neyor can sell himself
as a competent energy
professional that opened up
the oil sector to reform and
public scrutiny. He (Neyor)
never gave away single oil
block when he was CEO
of NOCAL, because, as he
puts it: The sector needed
to be cleaned up properly.
Contrasted with Sirleaf or
Weah, Mr. Neyor seems to be
the best of the lot.
But Mr. Neyor is not without
his critics, most of them
say the former CEO of
NOCAL under suspicious
circumstances. But I spoke
to top level sources at
NOCAL and below is what
I was told under conditions
of anonymity: Christopher
Neyor was a visionary
who wanted a world class
petroleum program and
invested heavily in building
the human resources to
achieve that. Mr. Neyor
insisted on reform and said
it was an absolute pre-
requisite to moving forward
and that was the source of
tension between him and
the President. As you may
already know, this place
(NOCAL) is run as the
personal company of Robert
Sirleaf and he (Neyor) did
not play along those lines so
Neyor had to go. Thais all,
but I can tell you for sure
Neyor did an excellent job
here and was not one of the
looters.
Another former colleague
who worked with Mr. Neyor
in the 1980s at the LEC
said: Neyor is an honest
and hardworking man who
does not take bribes. I can
tell earnestly that he has
the moral rectitude to hold
any public offce. I am not a
politician but I can tell you
that Neyor has all it takes
to properly represent this
county (Montserrado).
Neyor has entered politics at
a great time and with all the
advantages he brings to the
table, it is hard to see why
voters will not choose him.
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 7
FrontPage
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E
DITORIAL TEAM
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
ABOUT OUR STORIES ON THE
WORLDWIDE WEB
THE BUS IS TOO OLD TO
LEAD THE PASSENGERS
(LIBERIANS); IS TIME
FOR A NEW BUS
"LET OUR PEOPLE
GO BACK HOME"
The Reader's Page
WADIAH J MASSOUD TOP COMMENTER TECHNICIAN
AT LA-Z-BOY
During the days of LAMCO,BONG MINES BOMI HILLS,LIberia
had royalties and percentages as part of the deal in the form of fnance,
goods and services that was visible to all Liberians. Of course the ruling
elites at the time were stealing the monies for themselves and sending
their children to schools abroad but ordinary Liberians were benefting
too as employees because their children had schools, hospitals and
company housing. Today, the stealing is more obvious minus nearly all
the amenities and apparently the new concession owners are not able
and willing to help relieve the deplorable plight of Liberians. These
Indians and Chinese miners are very inexperienced and operate cheaply
even to their own people. Mittal Steel is not a Mining Company but a
steel production company. There is a difference. That is why she tend to
subcontract her operation. Our offcials are in it for the money not the
development of the country.
JOHN GBOMO TOP COMMENTER (SIGNED IN USING
HOTMAIL)
How in the world the government came from $400M price tag to $25M
with no justifcation? How did the government arrive at the initial price
to begin with? Unless the government just pulled the $400M fgure from
a hat and threw it out there hopping it would stick. If actual analysis was
carried out to arrive at the $400M fgure, the government would not have
settled for the fnal price of $25M. But then again, this is Africa where
anything goesthe anger of the government is not because Zambia was
duped in the deal; it was because the deal (done in the dark) has been
exposed. I dont think the Zambians are that gullible as theyve been
sounding the alarm, but it in the DNA of most African leaders to always
settle for the tail of any deals for self-aggrandizement. The thing here
is if you are going to do such a deal, do it with grand respect to you and
go for the maximum, but to settle for peanut is an insult to the nation
Liberia is no exception to this rush to privatization of every sector by
government. Sadly, these concession agreements are being done in the
cover of darkness, and even if the intent were good from the government
prospective, which is remote by the way, they are prone to errors and
mistakes because of lack of transparency. Though we are deep into this
deal with Vedanta, but it is time for government to open its eyes based
on the recent revelation and proceed cautiouslyThe government ought
to learn from its past mistakes and prepare for future concessions. Quite
frankly if all these errors are due in part to lacking the experience of the
art of negotiations, then the government ought to hire seasoned veterans
in negotiation to negotiate all concession agreements with the maximum
beneft to the country rather than doing it ourselves with dismal results.
JOHN WILLIAMS TOP COMMENTER EASTERN
UNIVERSITY, ST. DAVIDS, PA
Let Zambian offcials stop pretending that they don't know or have an
idea of the proft Vedanta makes yearly. The ore is mined in Zambia
and shipped from Zambia. Citizens have always complained that foreign
companies, including Chinese, have been raping the country; just the
same way Liberians are complaining that government is not seeking the
interest of the country. If Mittal Steel exports 1 billion dollars worth
of iron ore and claims it only exported 10 million dollars of ore, who
would you blame? Initially the Zambians were asking for $400 million
but they gave the mines for 25 million. Great job! African leaders will
never to cease disgracing us! Sometimes you just don't really know what
to do to these people. I am sure many people are making fun of Liberia
all over the place also. A Nigerian once told me that Liberians are stupid
because some Nigerian crook made millions out of an oil deal in Liberia.
I told him Liberians were learning from Nigerians. But he told me I was
wrong. He said Nigerians would rather give such crooked deal to another
Nigerian so that the money would remain with Nigerians. We laughed
about it but it really pained me. I can therefore understand how many
Zambians are feeling right now. Thank God Liberians already know that
people accepted bribes to sign contracts. It may therefore be less painful
the day they "play their video". I hope they have video recordings of
some clowns demonstrating their wickedness to their own people.
JAY WION TOP COMMENTER WORKS AT NPRC
MY TURN: Why suddenly during this politically motivated, revenge-
driven, vendetta-prone, Krahn-bashing, native-witch hunt, congua-
payback trial did I hear the prosecution talk or introduce any evidence to
back up its cooked-up claims of a coup-plot and treason manufactured
trumped up lies by former MODEL rebel fghters to overthrow the Ellen
regime, backed by Krahns in the US who sent money home and had
assepmbled 400 former fghters in Toe Town, Grand Gedeh County, and
were to be transported to Monrovia in April 2012, , go to the South
Beach Gulag Prison, throw grnades to scare away guards to free those
on trial now?
And then you are talking about peace talks in Monrovia between Krahns
on one side and Gios and Manos with the Krahns branded as "Chicken
Rogues" or trouble makers in Liberia and the Congua as as sinless and
pure? Keep playing with fre Ellen. I urge the Krahns to boycott the
socalled peace talks. Ellen and company who confessed to funding the
war are not part of any peace talk. We will see who born dog one day.
The Editor,
I read in the FrontPage Africa newspaper of Liberia this morning an
analogy made by her Excellency, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
President of the republic of Liberia. In her speech to the nation before
leaving for the United States of America on a sequestered visit. In
that communication, the president made some points, I will like to
analyze as a political commentator. President Sirleaf in that discourse
mentioned changes in offcials, prosecutions of offenders, challenges
to partners, as well as reforms in policies and actions. She equated
this challenge to driving a bus while at the same time repairing its
many defcient and dysfunctional parts.
The point I gathered from the above analogy made by the president
include the following. The BUS is too old to lead the (Liberian)
people to a safe destination. It is time for a new bus. The contraption
of the bus, massive corruption, nepotism, bad governance, human
right abuses, lack of leadership and failure to listen to the cries of
the citizens. Can no longer allow the bus to move a mile ahead. An
attempt to move the bus any further will cause a national catastrophe.
The bus is stranded, because the driver of the bus failed to play a
major role in the repair of the bus. The diagnoses of the bus are
clear. The passengers on the bus, the civil society organizations,
political commentators, intellectuals, student leaders, political partys
chairpersons, common citizens are pointing out the problems to the
driver. The pig-headedness driver has already caused the lives
of some of the travelers. To the extent that one of the passengers
stopped on the highway in Bong County, wasted gasoline on himself,
light himself on fre and burned to death. I meditate this should signal
the driver, about the looming danger ahead. More commuters will die.
The driver in the past told the customers about her plan to take the
bus to the shop. To the surprises of the passengers, it is now (8) eight
years and the driving is still talking about repairing the bus. Three
more years for the expiration of the bus. When will this bus be repair?
My fellow (Liberians) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has spoken. The bus can
no longer lead the Liberian people to a safe destination. Ellen must
resign! Ellen must GO! Ellen must leave! Liberians must protest!
Dashward A. Wumah, commonly call political dash approve this
communication
DASHWARD A. WUMAH
politicaldash@yahoo.com
The Editor,
The immediate launch of a resettlement program for the hundreds of
thousands of Liberians still internally displace in the country is the
biggest impression President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf can leave on the
Liberian people before the end of her term.
The Red-light Market District, Duala on Bushrod Island and other
parts of Monrovia are currently experiencing an unimaginable over
population growth with previous residents of up country communities
who are anxiously awaiting government assistance to go back to their
respective villages and towns in Liberia.
Most of these people recently asserted their willingness to return
but only with sustained government support and the provision of
considerable amount of farming logistics, sanitation facilities, hand-
pump water systems, district health and educational facilities to cater
to both the health and education needs of their children and families.
The would be resettled people emphasized that such a program must
include a monthly supplementary fnancial assistance to all returning
and productive farmers .
The Liberian Capital, Monrovia, which is now host to about a
million of these people who were all driven from their respective
up country towns and villages by the Liberian war stands the risk of
over population in a very short time as such, something must be done
quickly by government to advert the outbreak of an uncontrolable
illment that tend to be common in over populated communities
around the world.
The President recent Zuba Town farming outreach in the suburb of
Monrovia (frontpageafricaonline.com) from where she called on
Liberians to go back to the soil will only yield good result if villages
in the countryside including BankOrma in Bong,Behwalay, Kpablee
Chiefdom in Nimba, Sapaima in Bopolu, Gbarpolu and Gorlu in Lofa
Counties amongst many other villages and towns are repopulated
again with the hundreds of Liberians who are in dire need of returning
back to their farms. Government in doing this, must ensure that the
returnees are given materials support in metal zinc, nails, bags of
cements to enable them make their war ravaged villages and towns
livable again.
The Red-light community where God is currently blessing the
construction of the frst Information Technology Literacy Institute for
the Blind (ITLiB), is known to be host to the largest of internally
displace people who have expressed willingness to return to their
once happy hamlets but said they are being deterred by the lack of
government will to help them make life livable up country in post war
Liberia and rebuild their houses that were destroyed as a result of the
war. Many of the would be returnees say, transportation assistance
from Monrovia to their once nice villages and towns and a sustain
monthly monetary provision that would enable them take care of their
daily activities of living and as well prevent them from using their
seed rice for food is one major request they will make to President
Sirleaf for their immediate departure from the Liberian capital to
embark on what they say is a great thought by the Liberian leader.
Thoughts are that government support to such a quick impact
resettlement and reintegration program for internally displace
Liberians would bring an end to the recurrence of the shortage of
other basic food commodities in homes and Liberia's staple, rice on
the market in a timely manner while resources are being organized
VEDANTA RAPES ZAMBIA
IN COPPER DEAL: LIBERIA
STUPID TOO?
for a long term approach to make villages and towns habitable again
and support the food production needs emphasized by the President.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jask says, he is willing to assist the President with
expert advise in the management of such program including public
education and project monitoring and reporting through an info
technology systems that would help advert corruption in the process
while at the same time providing update information about progress
and achievements. if requested.
AlVIN JASK
alvinjask@gmail.com
Minnesota, USA
Page 8 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
Fixed Soccer Matches Cast Shadow Over World Cup
REFEREES FOR SALE
A New York Times investigation
of match fxing ahead of the last
World Cup gives an unusually
detailed look at the ease with
which professional gamblers
can fx matches.
By DECLAN HILL and JER
LONGMAN
JOHANNESBURG
A
soccer referee named
Ibrahim Chaibou
walked into a bank
in a small South
African city carrying a bag flled
with as much as $100,000 in
$100 bills, according to another
referee traveling with him. The
deposit was so large that a bank
employee gave Mr. Chaibou a
gift of commemorative coins
bearing the likeness of Nelson
Mandela.
Later that night in May 2010, Mr.
Chaibou refereed an exhibition
match between South Africa
and Guatemala in preparation
for the World Cup, the worlds
most popular sporting event.
Even to the casual fan, his calls
were suspicious he called
two penalties for hand balls even
though the ball went nowhere
near the players hands.
Mr. Chaibou, a native of Niger,
had been chosen to work the
match by a company based
in Singapore that was a front
for a notorious match-rigging
syndicate, according to an
internal, confdential report by
FIFA, soccers world governing
body.
FIFAs investigative report
and related documents, which
were obtained by The New
York Times and have not been
publicly released, raise serious
questions about the vulnerability
of the World Cup to match fxing.
The tournament opens June 12 in
Brazil.
The report found that the match-
rigging syndicate and its referees
infltrated the upper reaches
of global soccer in order to fx
exhibition matches and exploit
them for betting purposes. It
provides extensive details of the
clever and brazen ways that fxers
apparently manipulated at least
fve matches and possibly more
in South Africa ahead of the
last World Cup. As many as 15
matches were targets, including
a game between the United
States and Australia, according
to interviews and emails printed
in the FIFA report.
Although corruption has vexed
soccer for years, the South
Africa case gives an unusually
detailed look at the ease with
which professional gamblers
can fx matches, as well as
the governing bodys severe
problems in policing itself and
its member federations. The
report, at 44 pages, includes an
account of Mr. Chaibous trip to
the bank, as well as many other
scenes describing how matches
were apparently rigged.
After one match, the syndicate
even made a death threat against
the offcial who tried to stop the
fx, investigators found.
Were the listed matches fxed?
the report said. On the balance
of probabilities, yes!
The Times investigated the South
African match-fxing scandal by
interviewing dozens of soccer
offcials, referees, gamblers,
investigators and experts in
South Africa, Malaysia, England,
Finland and Singapore. The
Times also reviewed hundreds
of pages of interview transcripts,
emails, referee rosters and other
confdential FIFA documents.
FIFA, which is expected to
collect about $4 billion in
revenue for this four-year World
Cup cycle for broadcast fees,
sponsorship deals and ticket
sales, has relative autonomy at
its headquarters in Zurich. But
The Times found problems that
could now shadow this months
World Cup.
A letter from Football 4U
International to the South
African soccer federation offered
to provide referees for South
Africas exhibition matches
before the World Cup.
FIFAs investigators concluded
that the fxers had probably
been aided by South African
soccer offcials, yet FIFA did
not offcially accuse anyone of
match fxing or bar anyone from
the sport as a result of those
disputed matches.
A FIFA spokeswoman said
Friday that the investigation into
South Africa was continuing,
but no one interviewed for this
article spoke of being contacted
recently by FIFA offcials.
Critics have questioned FIFAs
determination and capability to
curb match fxing.
Many national soccer
federations with teams competing
in Brazil are just as vulnerable to
match-fxing as South Africas
was: They are fnancially shaky,
in administrative disarray and
politically divided.
Ralf Mutschke, who has since
become FIFAs head of security,
said in a May 21 interview with
FIFA.com that match fxing
is an evil to all sports, and he
acknowledged that the World
Cup was vulnerable.
The fxers are trying to look
for football matches which are
generating a huge betting volume,
and obviously, international
football tournaments such as
the World Cup are generating
these kinds of huge volumes,
Mr. Mutschke said. Therefore,
the World Cup in general has a
certain risk.
Mr. Chaibou, the referee at the
center of the South African case,
said in a phone interview that he
had never fxed a match, and he
denied knowing or having ever
spoken to Wilson Raj Perumal,
a notorious gambler who calls
himself the worlds most prolifc
match fxer and whom FIFA
called one of the suspected
masterminds of the South Africa
scheme.
I did not know this man, Mr.
Chaibou said. I had no contact
with him ever.
Mr. Chaibou said FIFA had
not contacted him since his
retirement in 2011. He declined
to answer any questions about
money he may have received in
South Africa.
The tainted South African
matches were not the only
suspect ones. Europol, the
European Unions police
intelligence agency, said last year
that there were 680 suspicious
matches played globally from
2008 to 2011, including World
Cup qualifying matches and
games in some of Europes
most prestigious leagues and
tournaments.
There are no checks and
balances and no oversight,
Terry Steans, a former FIFA
investigator who wrote the report
on South Africa, said of the
syndicates efforts there in 2010.
Its so effcient and so under the
radar.
As players from South Africa
and Guatemala gathered for their
national anthems, Mr. Chaibou
stood between the teams at
midfeld. He was fanked by
two assistant referees who had
also been selected by Football
4U International, the Singapore-
based company that was the front
for the match-rigging syndicate.
They were present because of a
shrewd maneuver the fxers had
begun weeks earlier to penetrate
the highest levels of the South
African soccer federation.
A man identifying himself
as Mohammad entered
the federation offces in
Johannesburg carrying a letter
dated April 29, 2010. The letter
offered to provide referees
for South Africas exhibition
matches before the World Cup
and pay for their travel expenses,
lodging, meals and match
fees, taking the burden off the
fnancially troubled federation.
We are extremely keen to work
closely with your good offce,
the letter read.
It was signed by Mr. Perumal,
the match fxer, who was also an
executive with Football 4U.
The offer sounded strange to
Steve Goddard, the acting head
of refereeing for the South
African Football Association at
the time. An amiable, heavyset
Englishman who sometimes used
a table leg for a walking stick,
Mr. Goddard had had an eclectic
career in and out of soccer. He
sang in Welsh choirs and worked
as a sound engineer for an album
made at Abbey Road Studios. He
knew that FIFA rules allowed
only national soccer federations
to appoint referees. Outside
companies, like Football 4U, had
no such authority.
Several days later, Mr. Goddard
said, Mohammad returned and
offered him a bribe of about
$3,500, saying he was holding
up the deal. Mr. Goddard said he
declined the offer.
Nevertheless, other South
African executives moved
forward with Football 4U. At
least two contracts were drafted,
giving Football 4U permission to
appoint referees for fve of the
countrys exhibition matches.
The FIFA report called the
contracts so very rudimentary as
to be commercially laughable.
One contract, unsigned, bore the
name of Anthony Santia Raj,
identifed by FIFA as an associate
of the Singapore syndicate. The
other contract was signed by
Leslie Sedibe, then the chief
executive of the South African
soccer federation.
In an interview, Mr. Sedibe said
that someone from Football
4U had lied to him about the
companys intentions, and that
the FIFA report belonged in a
toilet.
It is the biggest load of rubbish,
he said.
Mr. Santia Raj could not be
reached for comment.
Investigators found that
South African soccer offcials
performed no background checks
on Mohammad or Football
4U. The company was already
infamous: It had attempted to
fx a match in China about eight
months earlier. Mohammad
turned out to be Jason Jo
Lourdes, another associate of
the Singaporean match-fxing
syndicate, according to the FIFA
report. Mr. Lourdes could not be
reached for comment.
The report said the South African
soccer offcials were either
easily duped or extremely
foolish.
But their behavior inevitably
leads to the conclusion that
several employees of the
federation were complicit
in a criminal conspiracy to
manipulate these matches, the
report said.
Fixers are attracted to soccer
because of the action it
generates on the vast and largely
unregulated Asian betting
markets. And if executed well, a
fxed soccer match can be hard to
detect. Players can deliberately
miss shots; referees can eject
players or award penalty kicks;
team offcials can outright tell
players to lose a match.
Most fxed bets are placed on
which team will win against
the spread and on the total

Ibrahim Chaibou, second from left in Nigeria in 2011, the referee at the center of the South African case, was seen depositing a
quite thick wad of $100 bills before a suspect exhibition match, according to FIFA.CreditSunday Alamba/Associated Press
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~
SEE page 9
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 9
number of expected goals.
Gamblers often place large bets
in underground markets in Asia.
By some estimates, the illegal
betting market in Asia amounts
to hundreds of billions of dollars
annually.
The South African federation,
troubled by fnancial diffculties
and administrative dysfunction,
was a ripe target. Once Football
4U had insinuated itself, the
syndicate was able to switch
referees at the last moment, and
it had access to dressing areas
and the sidelines.
According to an email from
Wilson Raj Perumal to Ace
Kika, a South African federation
offcial, the Singapore syndicate
asked to provide referees for
matches.
The situation was ideal for
the criminal organization using
Football 4U to exploit these
vulnerabilities and to offer
money to SAFA staff, who were
themselves suffering fnancial
hardship, the FIFA report said.
Mr. Perumal did not respond to
requests for an interview. But
he wrote a memoir, published
in April, that captured his
brazenness and provided details
consistent with FIFAs report.
He wrote that his group offered
$60,000 to $75,000 to Mr.
Chaibou and his crew for each
exhibition match they would fx.
I can do the job, Mr. Chaibou
replied, according to Mr.
Perumals memoir, Kelong
Kings. (Kelong is Malay
slang for match fxing.)
The memoir says Mr.
Chaibou was paid $60,000 for
manipulating the South Africa-
Guatemala match.
The day of the match, Mr.
Chaibou walked with Robert
Sithole, a South African member
of the offciating crew, to a
Bidvest Bank in Polokwane,
about three hours northeast of
Johannesburg, Mr. Sithole said
in the report.
Mr. Sithole told investigators
that he watched as Mr. Chaibou
deposited a quite thick wad
of $100 bills, perhaps as much
as $100,000, though Mr. Sithole
could not be certain of the
amount. Mr. Chaibou said he
wired the money to his wife in
Niger, according to the report.
A woman at the bank gave Mr.
Chaibou a gift of coins bearing
the likeness of Mandela, an
apparent reward for having
deposited a huge amount of
money on this account, Mr.
Sithole told FIFA investigators.
Hours later, Mr. Chaibou arrived
at Peter Mokaba Stadium for
the match. Another referee from
Niger was scheduled to offciate.
Instead, Mr. Chaibou took the
feld.
Questionable Calls
That night, only seats in the
lower bowl were full, but the
crowd of about 25,000 was
noisily expectant.
As the match began, FIFAs
Early Warning System,
which monitors gambling on
sanctioned matches, began to
detect odd movements in betting.
Gamblers kept increasing their
expectations of how many goals
would be scored, a possible sign
of insider betting.
Before the match, the betting line
had been 2.68 goals, an ordinary
number, said Matthew Benham,
a former fnancial trader who
runs a legal gambling syndicate
in England. By kickoff, the
expected goals rose drastically,
to 3.48, and then to more than 4
during the match, Mr. Benham
said.
The questionable calls began
early. In the 12th minute, South
Africa scored on a penalty kick
after a Guatemalan defender
was called for a hand ball even
though he was clearly outside the
penalty area. At halftime, the two
assistant referees from Tanzania
looked shivering, nervous, Mr.
Sithole said in the report. He was
part of the offciating crew.
In the 50th minute, Guatemala
was awarded a suspicious
penalty kick for a hand ball, even
though a South African defender
stopped a shot in front of the goal
with his chest, not his arm.
Mr. Goddard watched from the
grandstands, where he noticed
others seemed just as incredulous
about the refereeing. A South
African broadcaster kept looking
in his direction in disbelief. A
fellow South African soccer
offcial repeatedly turned to Mr.
Goddard with open arms, as if to
say, What about that?
In the 56th minute, another
debatable penalty kick was
awarded to South Africa, which
resulted in the teams fourth goal
in a 5-0 rout.
The FIFA report stated plainly
that we can conclude that this
match was indeed manipulated
for betting fraud purposes.
Were Going to Eliminate You
South Africa had one more
warm-up match, against
Denmark on June 5, before it
opened the World Cup. While
expectations for the team soared,
some offcials in the South
African soccer federation had
grown concerned about the
refereeing.
The night before the match with
Denmark, several South African
offcials delivered a stern lecture
to the appointed referees, who
were from Tanzania and had
been selected by Football 4U.
Nothing inappropriate would be
tolerated, they were told.
Ace Kika, one of three South
African federation offcials
present, was vehement. He later
complained to investigators that
men connected to Football 4U
had consistently tried to enter
the referees dressing room
at halftime of the exhibition
matches.
The morning of the Denmark
match, the scheduled chief
referee withdrew, citing a
stomach bug, although the
report described him as clearly
alarmed. A substitute referee
was needed fast.
Given the offciating in the
Guatemala match, Mr. Goddard
already had another referee
on standby. I was prepared
for anything to happen that
afternoon, he said in an
interview.
He persuaded Matthew Dyer, a
respected South African referee,
to offciate, even though it was
unusual for a referee to work
a match involving his home
country.
But when Mr. Goddard arrived at
the stadium, he found a familiar
fgure already there Mr.
Chaibou.
As the teams prepared to take the
feld, Mr. Dyer was hidden away
in an unused room to perform
his warm-up exercises. Mr.
Chaibou received a massage and
completed his own warm-ups,
but that was as far as he got.
As Mr. Chaibou waited in a
tunnel to lead the teams onto the
feld, Mr. Goddard said, he put his
hand on Mr. Chaibous shoulder
and told him: I am kicking you
out of the match. You are joining
me in the grandstand.
Another South African soccer
offcial said he locked Mr.
Chaibou in the referees dressing
room while Mr. Dyer took the
feld instead.
Photo
South Africa won, 1-0. In Mr.
Perumals memoir, he wrote that
the fxers had wanted three goals
in the match, and that $1 million
went up in smoke. He also
wrote that Mr. Goddard was a
big troublemaker.
After the match, as Mr. Goddard
drove away from the stadium,
his cellphone rang. It was Mr.
Perumal, who had once been
convicted of assault for breaking
the leg of a soccer player in an
aborted match-fxing attempt.
This time, you really have gone
too far and, you know, were
going to eliminate you, he said,
according to Mr. Goddard. Mr.
Perumal later bragged about
the episode, the report said. But
in his memoir he said that he
had threatened only to sue Mr.
Goddard for breach of contract,
not kill him.
Goddard testifed that Mr.
Perumal threatened his life.
The South African offcials made
no written report of the threat
and did not alert FIFA or the
police at the time.
But Mr. Goddard said he took
the threat so seriously that to
save my life, his colleague,
Mr. Kika, suggested that they
allow the Singapore syndicate
to pick the referee for the next
days exhibition match between
Nigeria and North Korea. Under
duress, Mr. Goddard said, he
agreed.
That was basically to save my
neck, he said in an interview.
That night, at 8:26, Mr. Kika sent
an email granting permission
for Football 4U executives to
appoint the referee. Mr. Kika
declined a request for comment.
The referee in the Nigeria-
North Korea match made
several questionable calls. FIFA
investigators could not confrm
whether it was Mr. Chaibou,
but they said the referee was
defnitely not the Portuguese
offcial who had been assigned.
The referee took a very harsh
stance in giving a red card for
a seemingly lesser infraction,
and he later took a very liberal
stance in awarding a suspicious
penalty kick, the report said.
Nigeria won, 3-1.
If the Singapore syndicate
was not shocked by the result,
many bettors were. We were
absolutely trashed in that
game, said Mr. Benham, the
professional gambler. It made
no sense at all in the betting
market.
As South Africa faced Denmark
on June 5, the United States
defeated Australia, 3-1, in
another exhibition. According
to an email from Mr. Perumal
to Mr. Kika on May 24, the
Singapore syndicate asked to
provide referees for the match.
In an interview, Mr. Goddard
said that Football 4U proposed
using three referees from Bosnia
and Herzegovina who, according
to the FIFA report, would later
receive lifetime bans from soccer
for their involvement in match
fxing.
Mr. Goddard said he had warned
American and Australian
offcials of Football 4Us
intentions. Ultimately, South
African referees offciated the
match.
United States soccer offcials
said they did not recall receiving
any warnings about fxers or a
change in referees. The FIFA
report gives no indication that
the game was manipulated.
Weve never heard anything
about this before and have no
reason to doubt the integrity of
the match, said Sunil Gulati,
the president of the United States
Soccer Federation.
Even if it could not place referees
in the United States match,
Perumal wrote in his memoir
that the Singapore syndicate
walked away from the South
African exhibitions with a good
four to fve million dollars.
Shrugging at the Evidence
Mr. Perumal remained in South
Africa until June 30, 2010, deep
into the World Cup, according
to the FIFA report. Mr. Perumal
wrote that he offered a referee
$400,000 to manipulate a World
Cup match, but that the referee
declined because he thought Mr.
Perumal had a loose tongue.
After the World Cup, a freelance
journalist, Mark Gleason,
reported suspicions among some
African soccer offcials that
exhibition matches had been
rigged. FIFA did nothing at the
time.
In fact, FIFA did not investigate
the suspicious games for nearly
two years, until March 2012.
By then, Mr. Chaibou had
reached FIFAs mandatory
retirement age, 45. FIFA has
said it investigates only active
referees, so its investigation of
Mr. Chaibou stopped. It took a
while to get around to it, longer
than we would have liked, Mr.
Steans, the author of the report,
said in an interview.
At the time, FIFAs investigative
staff amounted to fve people
responsible for examining
dozens of international match-
fxing cases, he said. The group
has no subpoena power or law
enforcement authority.
Investigators spent only three
days in South Africa and never
interviewed the referees or the
teams involved, the report said.
An unsuccessful attempt was
made to interview Mr. Chaibou
at the time, according to Mr.
Steans.
FIFA offcials in Zurich received
the report in October 2012 and
passed it to the soccer offcials
in South Africa; it had little
meaningful effect there. A few
South African offcials were
suspended but later reinstated.
And no one was charged with
a crime even though FIFA had
found compelling evidence of
fxed exhibitions and apparent
collusion by some South African
soccer offcials.
We never got to speak to the
referees, which was sad, said
Mr. Steans, who operates his own
sports security frm. It would
have tied up a lot of loose ends.
Im sure they would have given
us some relevant information.
Mr. Sedibe, then the chief
executive of the South African
soccer federation, shrugged
off the report as a politically
motivated witch hunt. Why
is it taking so long to get to the
bottom of this? he said. Why
not refer this matter to the police
to investigate and bring closure
to it?
Three months after the suspicious
South African matches, Mr.
Perumal was linked to another
daring scheme. In September
2010, he organized a match in
Bahrain in which the opponent
was a fake squad claiming to
be the national team of Togo, in
West Africa. The referee for that
match? Mr. Chaibou.
The presence of Football 4U
and Mr. Chaibou made soccer
organizers uneasy. In 2011, a
South African offcial, Adeel
Carelse, said that after being
misled by some in his national
federation, he learned that Mr.
Chaibou was about to referee
an under-23 age-group match in
Johannesburg. Mr. Carelse said
he raced across the city with a
car full of South African referees
to replace Mr. Chaibous crew at
the last minute.
Mr. Chaibou retired to Niger in
2011.
Mr. Perumal was arrested in
Finland in 2011 and found guilty
of corruption. He was given a
two-year sentence, although
he was released early. He was
arrested again in Finland in late
April for his continued role in
match fxing.
Since the South African episode,
Mr. Steans has left FIFA. He
said the investigative staff in
Zurich had a docket of about 90
match-fxing cases worldwide.
along with other security duties.
To seriously combat match
fxing, Mr. Steans said, FIFA
needs at least 10 investigators
working full time on monitoring
the manipulation of games,
and two offces in each of
its six international soccer
confederations.
You need the local intelligence
and local knowledge on the
ground, Mr. Steans said. You
need to be talking to sources face
to face to get live information
that helps you counter match
fxing before the fx happens.
A FIFA spokeswoman said
Friday that the Zurich staff now
included six investigators and
that FIFA worked with a broad
network of law enforcement
offcials including Interpol.
Delia Fischer, the spokeswoman,
said that for the World Cup,
12 security offcers would be
assigned to each stadium, with
the monitoring of potential
match fxing among their duties.
In addition, Ms. Fischer said,
a security staff of 18 will be on
hand from FIFA headquarters
in Zurich. Mr. Mutschke,
FIFAs security chief, said on
the organizations website that
a primary concern about fxing
is the third and fnal game of
the group phase of the World
Cup, when a particular team has
been eliminated or has already
qualifed for the second round.
CONTINUE READING THE
MAIN STORY140COMMENTS
Prevention is not something
where you can see easy success
stories the next day, Mr.
Mutschke said in the FIFA.com
interview. So we are investing
in long-term solutions, and we
certainly need the help of our
member associations as well to
be successful in the end.
In late 2012, an elite
anticorruption police unit,
called the Hawks, said it
was investigating potential
corruption linked to the match-
fxing scandal inside South
Africas soccer federation,
including a possible bribe of
about $800,000. But in March,
President Jacob Zuma of South
Africa said he would not form a
commission to examine charges
of match fxing, leaving the
matter to FIFA.
Im disappointed for South
African football, Mr. Steans
said. Im disappointed for
football in general because when
these things happen to the game,
they need to be investigated
and the truth found. And two
years, well, four years since this
happened was way too long.

Steve Goddard, the acting head of refereeing for the South African Football Association in
2010, said he had refused a bribe from Football 4U International, a front for a match-fxing
syndicate, over the appointment of referees. CreditJoao Silva/The New York Times
~ FIFA SCANDAL UNRAVELS ~
Page 10 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
Announcement
In keeping with the vehicle and Traffc Law; Title 38,
approved May 9, 1972, and published in 1978, the
Government of Liberia is pleased to announce the approved
rates for Third Party Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy
in Liberia. These rates take effect January 2, 1996.
Approved Rates Sticker Price
No. Category of Vehicles Price
1 Taxi US$300.00 $ 15.00
2 Transport Pick-Up
S/Size-1/2 Ton 400.00 15.00
M/Size- 1 Ton 425.00 15.00
B/Size 1 Ton 450.00 15.00
3 Transport Buses
S/S-Max 18 Persons 550.00 15.00
M/S-30 Persons 600.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 650.00 15.00
4. Transport Truck
10 Tons (10 Tires) 720.00 15.00
12 Tons (12 Tires) 750.00 15.00
14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 800.00 15.00
Trailer-22 Tires 1,000.00 15.00
5 Private Car (PC + Personal Plate
Sedan 150.00 15.00
Jeep 225.00 15.00
6 Business Car (BC)
Sudan 175.00 15.00
Jeep 225.00 15.00
7 Pick Up
PP 250.00 15.00
BP 300.00 15.00
8 Business Truck (BT)
10-Tons (10 Tires) 575.00 15.00
12-Tons (10 Tires) 600.00 15.00
14-18 Tons (18 Tires) 640.00 15.00
Trailer (22 Tires) 800.00 15.00
9 Business Bus (BB)
S/S-Min 6-8 Persons 250.00 15.00
S/S-Max 18 Persons 440.00 15.00
M/S- 30 Persons 480.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 520.00 15.00
10 Private Bus (PB)
S/S-Max 18 Persons 335.00 15.00
M/S-30 Persons 385.00 15.00
B/S-30 Over Persons 420.00 15.00
11 Private Truck (PT) 575.00 15.00
12 Private Motorbike 150.00 15.00
13 Business Motorbike 125.00 15.00
Please ask Pearl 0886 578 981/ Lucinda 0886 514 623
/ 0777 514 623 / AB 0886 529 776
American Underwriters Group
INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE
JG Bull BLDG, Randall Street, Adjancent DITCO Store





P.O. Box 68, Harbel Margibi County, Republic of Liberia
Tel: 231-76998848/49 eFax: +1(404) 506-9617
E-mail: liberiacaa@liberiacaa.com / www.liberiacaa.com

LIBERIA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (LCAA)
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
(This Ad is being re-advertized because none of the applicants met the basic requirements)

Liberia Civil Aviation Authority is accepting applications from qualified and experienced professionals
with background in Mathematics or Physics to serve as Air Traffic Controller within the Air Traffic
Management Department of the CAA.
Job Title: Air Traffic Controller
Place of Work: Liberia Civil Aviation Authority / Robertsfield, Liberia
Reports to: Manager (ATMD), Liberia Civil Aviation Authority


Position Summary:
The Air Traffic Controller shall under the supervision of Senior Air Traffic Controller be responsible to
ensure the safe, orderly and expeditious movement of Air Traffic in the lower airspace of the skies of
Liberia by providing Air Traffic Services (ATS) and Aeronautical Information Services to ensure the safe,
orderly and expeditious movement of Air Traffic in the lower airspace of Liberia. The Air Traffic
Controller shall report to the Manager Air Traffic Management Department.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Prevent collision between aircraft arriving at or departing from Roberts/Spriggs and aircraft
transiting the Roberts Terminal Control Area/Control Zone (TMA/CTR) below 10,000
feet/Flight Level 100;
Prevent collision between aircraft on the maneuvering area and obstructions on that area; and
Expedite and maintain safe and orderly flow of air traffic.
Prepare on-shift duty report prior to turnover.
Respond to emergency distress calls and other unexpected events.

Required Education & Qualification
A BSc Degree in Mathematics or Physics
Must have at least 3 years experience in either of the above fields

Knowledge

The Air Traffic Controller must have proficient knowledge in the following areas:





P.O. Box 68, Harbel Margibi County, Republic of Liberia
Tel: 231-76998848/49 eFax: +1(404) 506-9617
E-mail: liberiacaa@liberiacaa.com / www.liberiacaa.com

- English grammar fluency and composition;
- Communicate fluently and distinctly to airmen within Liberias territorial airspace; and
- Must have knowledge in Microsoft word-processing, Excel and Power-point.

Skills
The Air Traffic Controller must be able to demonstrate the following skills:
- Team building;
- Professional competence and independent judgment;
- Use of analytical discretion problem-solving;
- Firm in decision-making;
- Articulate and proficient oral communications skills;
- Computer literacy in Microsoft - word-processing;
- Possess stress and time management skills.
- Ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure.
- Be self-disciplined

Personal Attributes
- The Air Traffic Controller must maintain strict confidentiality in performing duties assigned.
- Be honest, respectful and trustworthy.
- Be culturally aware and sensitivity.
- Must be flexible and demonstrate sound work ethics.
Employment Opportunity
Liberia Civil Aviation Authority is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants on the
basis of merit.
How to Apply
Please send your applications, along with your Resume and references attached to:

Human Resource Section
Liberia Civil Aviation Authority
Robertsfield, Liberia.


Deadline for submission of application is June 10, 2014.


ONLY SHORLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED


Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 11
Page 12 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
Al-Varney Rogers alrogers2008@gmail 0886304498
Massa F. Kanneh masskanneh@yahoo.com or 0886848625
ALPHA DAFFAE SENKPENI, daffae82@gmail.com
F
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PAGE
COUNTY NEWS
F
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NEWS EXTRA
Harlandville, Grand Bassa County
A
rcelor Mittal and
the Arcelor Mittal
Foundation have
dedicated a school
building to the citizens of the
township of Harlandville, Grand
Bassa County as part of its social
corporate responsibility to the people
of Liberia.
Speaking at the dedication of the
school building, Arcelor Mittal
Liberia CEO, Antonio Carlos Maria
said the project is the frst of many
more projects that are underway
for Liberia because it is part of the
companys social responsibility.
CEO Maria reassured that the
steel giant is here in Liberia to stay
for a long time to help, develop,
provide employment and support for
Liberians.
He thanked the Arcelor Mittal
international volunteers who traveled
from different parts of the world to
help provide services to the people of
Liberia and called on them to come
back again to Liberia and continue
the good work for Liberians.
According to Arcelor Mittal head
of communications the project
cost US$70,000 and will be fully
completed in the next two weeks
mentioning that the dedication
ceremony had to be rushed because
the 14 volunteers who have worked
so hard to achieve the projects
progress were about to travel back to
their respective countries.
Hesta Barker Pearson told reporters
after the program that Arcelor Mittal
Foundation is a charitable arm of
Arcelor Mittal Global, explaining
that every two years Arcelor Mittal
Foundation organizes projects
around the world in countries that the
company operates and looks at these
various projects.
Said Baker-Pearson: The foundation
is responsible for sending volunteers
from within Arcelor Mittal to all of
the different sites around the world,
so its a project that is funded by
Arcelol Mittal but theres a separate
foundation that is totally responsible
for charitable and philanthropic work
around the world.
Baker-Pearson disclosed that the
foundation has also constructed a
school in Nimba County couple of
years ago and decided to come to
Grand Bassa County this year with
the aim of funding project that will
beneft children because children
are tomorrow which coincide
with the companys brand slogan,
Transforming Tomorrow. She
added that the foundation was opting
to do a project that will be long
term for tomorrow, stressing that
theres nothing more long term than
education.
With a section of the project already
completed, the project engineer
disclosed that it is a primary school
complex comprising of four sections
which may cost a quarter of a million
United States dollars, while adding
that the project design is the approved
Ministry of Educations diagram for
public schools in the country.
Grand Bassa Countys District Five
Representative, Hon. Robertson
Siaway and the Countys Assistant
Superintendent for Development,
Adonis Greaves both lauded the
company for the initiative with Hon.
Siaway describing the project as a
permanent good while recalling
how the community also contributed
to achieve the progress because it
will ensure that the dwellers protect
the project with a sense of ownership.
The Lawmaker also pleaded with
the company to help rehabilitate a
dilapidated school located in the
Benson River community at the
suburb of Buchanan City.
For his part, Development
Superintendent Greaves said
the desire of the Arcelor Mittal
Foundation and its volunteers to not
only look after themselves but the
young kids will go a long way.
He said the county will take
ownership of the project and will
make sure that people of Grand
Bassa use the project for the intended
purpose. He called on locals to
be grateful for the leadership of
Arcelor Mittal Liberia CEO who he
said passion for providing help and
empowerment for Bassa citizens is
more practical.
This is why we think theres a
need we should use this occasion
to call on the people of Grand
Bassa County to support Arcelor
Mittal, protect Arcelor Mittal and
take Arcelor Mittal as your own,
the Development Superintendent
stressed.
Harlandville Township established
since 1907 has lack a proper school
building and with its frst public
school established in 1914, the
school principal says the community
has move the school from one
makeshift building to the other as
they seek relevant intervention over
the decades.
But with the recent impact from
Monrovia-
A
bout a week ago the
Liberia Electricity
Corporation (LEC)
shut down its power
supply to the people of New Kru
town on the Bushrod Island.
Speaking at a news Conference
Friday at its West Point power
station, the Executive Director of
LEC Vamunyah Sheriff said that
New Kru Town alone accounts
for 90 percent of power theft and
other power related crimes.
Just within two weeks, of audits,
we have removed over 300 meters
by-passed or illegally connected
to our electricity grid, said
Sheriff.
As I said over 300 meters were
removed from over 40 light
poles, this translates into 90
percent of revenues loss. And
each day in New Kru Town, LEC
losses almost US$ 4,000.00 and
our meters get damaged in the
process.
The LEC stated that it is with the
current limited 22Mega Watts
power grid that the corporation is
still trying to provide electricity to
its customers.
So the issue of power theft is
Monrovia-
U
nder a heavy downpour of rain, women and children were
seen in their numbers making their way to the Paynesville
Town Hall to access free medical care provided under the
auspices of the Paynesville municipality.
The free medical care was provided to the locals as part of a Health
Fair organized by the Paynesville City Corporation. At the fair all of
the sixteen institutions had separate centers in the hall with their staffers
seen willing to receive people who came to seek free medical care.
Melvin Harding who is visually impaired beneftted from the Health
fair; he believes that the fair was "inclusive" adding that such initiative
is a welcoming venture.
"This fair is inclusive because it gives people with disabilities the same
opportunities like anybody, he said.
We were contacted by the PCC to form part of this fair, so we appreciate
this health fair, no discrimination and I did not pay any money for
treatment."
Harding continued: "Well the process is fne, I came to check my health
status, some treatments were given to me, they treated me and referred
me to JFK."
The Head of the Family Health Center Chessor Samukai said her center
formed part of the fair as a way of giving back to the community.
"We are offering free services today, people are coming and they are
coming to us, we are checking their malaria; their diabetes, this is
something that is very, very important to do for the community.
Dr. Samukai said it is important for people to know their health status
adding that this will not be the last time for her center to partake in such
a fair.
"This will not be the last time because last year we had a health fair and
we had a great time. This is our second health fair, so this will not be the
last time I just want to say this is a great idea I think we should have this
more often," she said.
Samukai explained that blood pressure, diabetes and malaria are the
three major tests offered at her center.
According to the head of Family Health Center those receiving treatment
at the fair who have illness that need follow-up will receive ffty percent
discount on their medical bill at the Family Health Center.
Dr. Samukai asserted that there is a need for more awareness on the
health fair adding that with this people will know what kind of treatment
they will be getting.
Dr. Samukai continued: "The health fair is meant for screening if we
diagnose anything we treat it, we need to do more awareness on the
health fair so when people come, they know the services they will be
getting and know what to follow up with the doctor about."
Another benefciary Martha Kollie 42 said the health fair is good
because it helps people to know their health status.
Martha said, she was treated, given medications and advised to do a
follow up at a local hospital. " You see it is diffcult for us to do our
check up when we fall sick, so you see I did not know that my blood
pressure was this high."
She added: "I want to thank the people who are providing these services
especially the Paynesville City Corporation, I have lived in Paynesville
for years but this is my frst time hearing that the City Corporation has
organized a health fair."
She said it is her hope that such initiative continues adding that the fair
should be done on a regular basis.
The City Mayor of Paynesville Cyvette Gibson said the reason behind
the fair is to ensure that people have access to proper medical care.
Gibson said: "We decided to have a health fair because we wanted
to make sure our citizens have access to proper healthcare, one of
the reasons we found this necessary is because we want to build a
municipality of healthy citizens, we have sixteen institutions that are
here with us they are actually rendering their services free of charge."
Mayor Gibson said in organizing the fair health centers contacted
were "receptive" adding that they [Medical Centers] are screening and
providing treatment for the people.
Gibson continued: "I wouldn't say there wasnt any diffculty, they were
very receptive; we didn't run into any issue at all. One of the things
that we really wanted here was to have the Ministry of Health doing
vaccination in this area; unfortunately they weren't able to do that."
The Paynesville Mayor named dental care, diabetes and high blood
pressure as some of the medical problems addressed by the service
providers.
"People are coming and providing their services free of charge, we are
targeting as many as we can, she said.
Gibson said, she would have love to decentralize the health fair adding
that due to the lack of funding it's diffcult for PCC to engage in such
endeavor.
"We do not have the ability to reach out in all of the communities;
currently there is budget shortfall that means well be downsizing our
activities. Well I'm happy with the turn out, we have people that are
continuously trickling in, so Im happy with it, Gibson added.
GIVING BACK
Paynesville City Council Provides Free Medical
Care for Residents at Sixteen Medical Centers
causing a major loss of revenue;
it is a setback for the company
because it would make it diffcult
to order new equipment from
overseas to replace the damaged
ones, said Sheriff.
He maintained that the
disconnection of New Kru Town
remains enforced until LEC
completes audit of the Borough
New Kru Town Tops Power Theft
LEC RED ALERT
but failed to state how long it
would last for.
LEC gave out numbers for
hotlines that it intends to use for
the community to help it fght
power theft. These numbers
are: 0207778889, 077444156,
0207777779 and 0776085238.
The LEC said the frst of four
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) plants
would be dedicated by December
this year. Mr. Sheriff said there
are plans underway to electrify
Monrovia.
However, many customers
subscribing with LEC have
complained of instability in
the electricity supply, which
sometimes lead to damages.
But LEC said it has insuffcient
capacity to keep everyone going
for 24hours so it does it on a
rotational level
ARCELOR MITTAL FOUNDATION DEDICATES
SCHOOL TO GRAND BASSA TOWNSHIP
Arcelor Mittal and the Arcelor Mittal
Foundation, the school Principal,
Joseph Payne, emotionally told the
gathering during the program how
delighted he was considering that
his community has got a new school
building.
For me today, if joy was something
to count I was going to count it. I just
only want to thank Arcelor Mittal and
my good volunteers for what they
have done for us, may God continue
to multiply his blessings upon you,
Principal Payne said.
Meanwhile, the Arcelor Mittal
communications Manager disclosed
that the foundation also brought in
doctors to cater to a lot of people
with dental (teeth sickness) and eye
problems. The volunteer doctors
reportedly treated more than 600
people in 10 days, providing 600
glasses for people with eye problems.
Asier Marquina, Arcelor Mittal
Foundations regional manager for
Africa and Western Europe said the
foundation is implementing 500
projects across the world indicating
that the projects include education,
health, water and sanitation, and
support for children who cannot
afford school fees.
He thanked his colleague for the
services they rendered while in
Liberia and promised that the
foundation will continue its work
with Arcelol Mittal Liberia and they
will not forget their experience in
Liberia.
When you help someone and you
do not expect anything in return you
really feel certain joy inside you that
you cannot express, Marquina said
emotionally.
The foundation Regional Manger
said they now know some of the
problems that affect Liberias
population; he disclosed that the
organization will work on starting a
visual habilitation for blind people
which will train blind people and
integrate them.
The 14 volunteers include engineers
and doctors who hailed from
Belgium, France, Canada, Brazil,
German, Mexico, and Spain. Some
were quite emotional as they spoke
during the program highlighting
their respective experiences with the
contractors, locals and children of
the area.
Some of the volunteers that also
included Liberians were certifcated
for their work toward the success of
the school project.
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 13
REGULATOR STILL IN LACC DRAGNET
Commission on Higher Education Director General long Corruption tale Peter Mutharika has been sworn in as Malawi's president after the High Court
rejected a request for a recount following allegations of vote-rigging
SUDANESE WOMAN MERIAM
IBRAHIM SENTENCED TO DEATH
FOR APOSTASY 'TO BE FREED'
IN BRIEF
OBAMA FIGHTS FOREIGN
POLICY CRITICS, PLEDGES
AID TO SYRIA GROUPS
SOUTH AFRICA MINES
MINISTER VOWS TO BREAK
STRIKE DEADLOCK
EGYPT POLLS OPEN FOR 3RD
DAY, FEW VOTERS SHOW UP

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
P
resident Barack
Obama fought back
against critics of
his foreign policy
on Wednesday by insisting
U.S. reliance on diplomacy
over military intervention was
working to resolve global crises
like Ukraine and Iran, and he
pledged to ramp up support for
Syrias opposition.
In a commencement address at
the U.S. Military Academy in
West Point, New York, Obama
laid out a broad approach to
foreign affairs for the remainder
of his presidency that shifts the
fght against terrorism from
Afghanistan to more diffuse
threats elsewhere in the world.
Obama's tendency to rely on
diplomacy and steer clear of
foreign entanglements has
drawn fre from opposition
Republicans in Congress and
various foreign policy pundits,
who would prefer a more robust
approach.
One of those areas is Syria. In
his speech, Obama defended
his decision not to intervene
militarily there and expressed
a willingness to expand
assistance to Syrian opposition
groups who are trying to oust
President Bashar al-Assad.
CAIRO (AP)
E
gyptian authorities
scrambled to rescue the
country's presidential
election from the
embarrassment of low voter
turnout, but few people trickled to
the polls Wednesday even after the
balloting was extended for a third
day.
A low turnout will likely rob the
all-but-certain winner, former
army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi,
of the overwhelming show of
public support he sought in the
vote.
Turnout is key for el-Sissi, because
he is looking to prove to critics at
home and abroad that his ouster
last July of the nation's frst freely
elected president, the Islamist
Mohammed Morsi, refected the
will of the people.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
S
outh Africa's new
mines minister Ngoako
Ramatlhodi said on
Wednesday that the
deadlock in the country's crippling
18-week platinum strike would
soon be broken as movement has
been made on both sides.
Ramatlhodi appointed a
government team on Wednesday to
try and resolve the wage stoppage
by the Association of Mineworkers
and Construction Union (AMCU)
at the world's top platinum
producers. The team will meet the
companies and union on Thursday
at an undisclosed location.
"We will break the deadlock. I can
say there has been movement on
both sides," Ramatlhodi, who was
sworn in on Monday, told Reuters.


F
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PAGE
WORLD NEWS
BANDA OFFICIALLY OUT
T
he elections were chaotic
and several irregularities
were reported
The leader of the
Democratic Progressive Party
urged the 11 other presidential
candidates to "join me in rebuilding
the country".
Outgoing President Joyce Banda
had alleged ballot fraud but has
now admitted defeat.
Malawi is one of the world's
poorest nations.
It is heavily dependent on aid,
which provides 40% of the
government's budget.
A protester died on Friday as
police used tear gas and rubber
bullets to disperse an angry crowd
demanding a recount of last week's
ballot in the south-eastern town of
Mangochi.
Mr Mutharika is the brother of the
late President Bingu wa Mutharika,
who died in offce in 2012, and had
served as his foreign minister.
He obtained 36.4% of the
vote, according to the electoral
commission, and said he felt "very
humbled" to become Malawi's ffth
president.
"It's obvious we are facing serious
problems in this country. All of us
together, let us build the country
which is almost on the verge of
collapse," he said.
Former preacher Lazarus

S
udan appeared to be
bowing to international
pressure on Saturday
night to free a woman
sentenced to death for apostasy.
A foreign ministry spokesman
said that Meriam Ibrahim would
be released and not face further
charges.
But lawyers for 27-year-old Ms
Ibrahim expressed scepticism that
she would be freed so quickly.
Its a statement to silence
the international media, said
Elshareef Ali Mohammed. This is
what the government does. We will
not believe that she is being freed
until she walks out of the prison."
He said he had even heard reports
that the spokesman was in the UK
on medical leave when he told the
BBC she would soon be freed.
If they were to release her, the
announcement would come from
the appeal court, and not from the
ministry of foreign affairs. But at
least it shows our campaign to free
Meriam is rattling them. We must
keep up the pressure.

Chakwera came second in the
election with 27.8% of the vote.
He represented the Malawi
Congress Party, which governed
from independence in 1964 until
the frst multi-party poll in 1994.
'Cashgate'
Mrs Banda, who came to power
after the death of Bingu wa
Mutharika two years ago, was
third with 20.2% of the vote.
Her administration had been hit
by a corruption scandal dubbed
"cashgate", which led donors to
cut aid.
Mrs Banda had attempted to
have the polls declared "null and
void" on the grounds of "serious
irregularities".

Malawi media comment
"The wish-list for Malawians
is very long," says the Malawi
News, a privately owned daily.
"Being accountable seems to
be a good starting point," adds
the paper, emphasising the need
for improving services and
infrastructure.
"We can only have one president at
a time," says the UK-based Nyasa
Times, urging Malawians to leave
behind "rancour and electoral
vindictiveness".
But she made no mention of this
in a statement congratulating
Mr Mutharika on his victory in a
"closely contested election" and
urging "all Malawians to support
the newly elected president... and
his government as they take on
this foundation of progress and
endeavour to develop Malawi even
further."
The Malawi Electoral Commission
(MEC) had asked for a 30-day
extension to declare the results so
that a recount could be carried out.
However, the High Court refused
to delay the release of results and
ordered the commission to make
its announcement on Friday.
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT
T
his is to announce with
deep sorrow the death
of Samuel Benedict
Cooper Jr.
This sad event took place in
the ambulance en route to St.
Josephs Catholic Hospital,
on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at
12:40 pm.
This is a tremendous loss for the
Cooper family and for countless
others that affectionately
referred to him as Ben Cooper,
Papa Zulu, Jolly Pappy, or JP.
Funeral arrangements will be
as follows:
Removal of Bens body from the
Stryker Funeral Home:
Friday, June 6, 2014 at 4 PM
With the wake keeping to follow
at Trinity Cathedral, Broad
Street.
Funeral Service will be held at
Trinity Cathedral, Broad Street:
Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 10:00
AM
This announcement was brought
in by the Cooper Family.

Samuel Benedict Cooper, Jr
June 22, 1944May 15, 2014
Page 14 |
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014
AUSTRALIA'S 'CHANGING OF GUARD' IN FULL SWING WITH
MILE JEDINAK IN POLE POSITION TO LAND CAPTAINCY
Crystal Palace midfelder looks set to fll Lucas Neils captaincy shoes as
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou puts fnal touches to vision
I
t has the biggest audience of
any team sport competition
and only weeks remain
until the football public
shifts focus to living, eating and
breathing the world game for
an entire month. In Australia
the game of football or soccer is
often referred as The Sleeping
Giant but the games strong
and rapid growth could soon
see it referenced to the 1970s
colloquially-titled General
Motors advertisement Football,
Meat pies, Kangaroos and Holden
Cars.
With the fnal squad announcement
due this week, the Socceroos side
has gone about a well-documented
changing of the guard as coach
Ange Postecoglous future vision
beyond the World Cup starts to
take shape.
Some well-timed pre-emptive taps
on the shoulder by Postecoglou
has seen the revolving door
close on Socceroos stalwarts
Brett Holman and Lucas Neils
international careers. The move
wasnt swift by the new gaffer,
but with wonderful service given
to the national shirt, respect
was shown to two very popular
Socceroos veterans. Sadly Neil
has been left stranded just four
games shy of recording 100 caps
for his country. In typical stoic
Neil fashion he has given strong
assurances to play on in a vain
hope of gaining selection for
Januarys Asian Cup tournament.
The talk this week has centred
on goalkeeping incumbent Maty
Ryan, who has been linked with
Spanish giants Real Madrid of
all places. Ryans career has
gained plenty of momentum
after securing a starting role with
Belgium side Club Brugge this
season, but the Madrid move is
purely speculation. Ryan has been
on the radar of many European
clubs but a fnal decision on his
future seems unlikely until after
Brazil. His debut season saw him
impress with 13 clean sheets from
37 matches.
The local Australian A-League
competition wrapped up in style
last weekend in Brisbane with the
Premiers Brisbane Roar hosting
the Western Sydney Wanderers
in front of over 51,000 passionate
fans. The Roar claimed a third
Grand Final win together with
two premierships and look likely
to provide Ivan Franjic and Matt
McKay with spots in the 30 man
Socceroos squad.
Postecoglou has not been hurried
in his quest to name a captaincy
replacement, but it is looking
likely that Crystal Palace based
midfelder Mile Jedinak has the
runs on the board to fll Neils
shoes. Other notable contenders
could be veteran Tim Cahill or
experienced defensive midfelder
Mark Milligan. Unfortunately for
Jedinak he was forced from the
feld in Palaces fnal match with
a groin strain that could see him
miss the fnal Socceroos hit out
at home against South Africa on
May 26.
The possible bolters for a ticket
to Brazil include Newcastle Jets
10 Days to go: All the action leading up the Brazil
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP


Adam Taggart after a stellar year
in the A-League after winning the
coveted Golden Boot trophy
for netting 16 goals. Fortuna
Dusseldorf based winger Ben
Halloran is also gaining plenty
of attention with a fne season in
the Bundesliga 2 league with six
goals and 23 games this season in
Germany.
Australias frst opponent sees
them with their best or some say
only chance of snatching a point
in the tournament. In what will
give some hope to fans Down
Under, no Australian team has
ever returned home from the
World Cup pointless since their
opening campaign back in 1974.
Chiles Fifa ranking of 15 places
them well above the Socceroos
on 63, but with news of injury
concerns to Chiles Arturo Vidal,
could mean a welcome reprieve
for the Aussies before Chile play
their remaining pool matches
against Spain and the Netherlands.
They will still have the likes of
Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez
and the talented David Pizarro to
cope with.
The giant battle for midfeld
possession and strengthening the
obvious defensive frailties will be
Postecoglous biggest challenges.
He will be hoping the Socceroos's
proud unbeaten record against the
Dutch can continue. Although
with Robin Van Persie and Arjen
Robben anchoring their attack the
Clockwork Orange will again
be at the peak of their powers
and one of the favoured sides to
progress towards the semi-fnals.
The ultimate test will be saved
for last when Anges men take
on football super powers and
current European and World Cup
Champions Spain in Curitiba.
With last years 6-0 defeats to
Brazil and France still etched in
the memories of many, fans will
be hoping for nothing more than
a competitive showing over an
unrealistic and euphoric upset
victory over "The Red Fury.
This World Cup has garnered
unprecedented interest from
Australian football fans here
and abroad but not for a high
expectation of success. You
can be certain the beaches of
Copacabana and Ipanema will
be flled not just with the green
and gold of Brazil but a healthy
splattering of Socceroos jerseys
and Aussie football tragics.
February has been a massive
month for the Socceroos.
The unveiling of a new eco-
friendly kit, controversial squad
announcements, and a UK-based
run out against Ecuador have
dominated headlines in a land
"girt" by sea.
Football fans love a new kit
unveiling. In our socially
mediated world the big surprise
is often defated by a million
tweets, mentions and retweets
before a single camera fashes
in excitement. So it was no
surprise when Nike launched the
new "Green and Gold" kit in the
shadow of the Sydney Harbour
Bridge but, unlike the Scots, the
kit has garnered very positive
endorsement.
The cutting edge design
(consisting of 18 recycled plastic
bottles) shouts sustainability as
it pays tribute to the trailblazers
of the nation's frst World Cup
fnals campaign. The retro-styled
adaptation has the quote, "We
Socceroos can do the impossible",
from the side's '74 Captain, Peter
Wilson, woven into a stylish tab.
Ange Postecoglou announced a
youthful squad for the Ecuador
match. As he seeks to construct
the next generation, long-serving
captain Lucas Neil was the most
noticeable, though expected,
absentee given his stalled on-feld
career. Postecoglou hasn't ruled
out his inclusion in the fnal squad,
but signalled a preference for
solid club form over reputation.
Harry Kewell was another
exclusion and, despite fnding
recent form with Manchester
City's A-League side, Melbourne
Heart, is long odds to be involved.
He might be turning the "shrimps
on the barbie" with Neil while
their young colleagues are shaking
their maracas on the Copacabana.
The match itself was one of mixed
emotions. The clash between the
Aussies and the 24th Fifa ranked
Ecuador at Millwall's "The Den",
a ground many Socceroos have
called home, started with plenty
of promise. Newly-appointed
captain Mile Jedinak oversaw
veteran Tim Cahill become the
country's all-time top scorer with
a handy brace. Cahill has never
really been a "footballer" in the
true sense of the word preferring
his more reliable cranial asset to
that of his feet.
Australians hope his trademark
corner-post sparring session
will be seen on more than one
occasion in Brazil, but with Group
B opponents Netherlands, Chile
and Spain, not conceding will be
the priority.
Belgium-based Maty Ryan had
an impressive clean sheet in the
frst-half between the sticks,
before making way for the much
less successful Mitchell Langerak
in the second. It was an unhappy
night for the Borussia Dortmund
back up as his sloppy Kung-Fu
style challenge, and ensuing red
card, saw the momentum shift to
Ecuador.
Despite four unanswered goals
handed to Ecuador in a clich-
riddled game of two halves,
Postecoglou remained upbeat
when he noted the friendly was
more about blooding youth than
the fnal result. Playing a man
down certainly educated the squad
in what scenarios can be thrown
up in the tough competition of
international football.
The Socceroos face South Africa
in a farewell friendly at the
Olympic Stadium in Sydney on
May 26. The game will fnish
a week-long squad camp, and
a great opportunity to continue
Postecoglou's 'rebuilding' phase.
The "Bafana Bafana" may not
be an ideal opponent given
their recent 5-0 drubbing from
tournament hosts Brazil, but it
could provide the Socceroos with
a much-needed shot in the brand
new shirt-sleeve before their trek
across the Pacifc.
The fnal World Cup squad will
continue to divide opinion and
spark plenty of debate amongst
supporters. But despite our
tough Group B predicament, a
record contingent of Aussie fans
travelling to Brazil will be an
encouraging aspect to what has
been described as the Socceroos
toughest World Cup campaign to
date.
Frontpage
Monday, June 2, 2014 Page 15
Danesius Marteh, danesius.marteh@frontpageafricaonline.com
Lesotho capitalizes on home advantage to advance with 2-0 win over Liberia; 2-1 aggregate
Sports
SPORT BRIEF
SPAIN GAMBLES ON
COSTA IN 23-MAN
WORLD CUP SQUAD
MADRID (AP)
W
orld Cup
holder Spain
included Diego
Costa in its 23-
man squad for Brazil despite
lingering worries over a leg
injury to the striker.
Costa has been hobbled for
weeks by a right thigh muscle
problem, but coach Vicente del
Bosque is prepared to gamble
that the Atletico Madrid
forward will be ft to lead the
defending champion's attack.
Costa, who is a Brazilian-born
Spanish national, is expected
to start ahead of Fernando
Torres and David Villa, who
were also in the squad.
As expected, winger Jesus
Navas was left out while Juan
Mata was included despite a
mixed Premier League season.
OKLAHOMA CITY --
S
an Antonio fought off
Father Time, the league
MVP and an injury to its
best player to return to
the NBA Finals.
The Spurs beat the Oklahoma
City Thunder 112-107 in
overtime Saturday night in Game
6 of the Western Conference
fnals to set up a rematch with the
Miami Heat.
San Antonio will host Game 1
on Thursday night and will try to
avenge last year's heartbreaking
loss. San Antonio led Miami
3-2 before losing Game 6 in
overtime, then dropping Game 7.
"People keep talking like we
weren't close to winning, but
we were ready to win last year,"
Spurs center Tim Duncan said.
"We're happy it's the Heat again.
We've got that bad taste in our
mouths still."
MOURINHO TO CHOSE EITHER
REMY, LUKAKU OR BONY TO
PARTNER COSTA AT CHELSEA
SPURS OUTLAST THUNDER
IN OT, GET FINALS
REMATCH WITH HEAT
S
wanseas Ivory Coast
hitman Wilfried
Bony, QPRs French
ace Loic Remy
and the Blues own Belgium
star Romelu Lukaku are the
trio being monitored by the
Stamford Bridge boss.
Mourinho and Chelsea have
already agreed a 35million
deal for Atletico Madrid top
scorer Diego Costa.
But the Special One has yet
to decide whether to bring
Lukaku, who spent last season
on loan at Everton, back
into the fold - or fnd a new
forward for his squad.
Lukaku and Mourinho clashed
this time last year when the
Portuguese coach refused to
guarantee him regular frst-
team football at Chelsea.
L
esotho recorded one
of the most impressive
results in their history
when beating Liberia
2-0 to qualify for the second
round of 2015 Africa Cup of
Nations qualifying.
Having lost the frst leg 1-0 in
Monrovia, the small highland
kingdom won through 2-1 on
aggregate.
Two frst-half goals were enough
to comfortably ensure the
Crocodiles' frst Nations Cup
qualifying win in seven years,
with their last success coming
against Niger in 2007.
Lesotho have never appeared
at a Nations Cup fnal and face
Kenya in the next round.
Tanzania , meanwhile, are
looking to qualify for their frst
Nations Cup since 1980 and they
ensured they stay in contention
for January's fnals in Morocco
when drawing 2-2 in Zimbabwe
on Sunday.
Mart Nooij's side progressed 3-2
on aggregate, and will next meet
Mozambique - meaning a return
to Maputo for the Dutch coach,
who led the Mambas to the 2010
Nations Cup.
Botswana 's sole Nations Cup
qualifcation was in 2012
and they maintained hopes of
reaching only their second fnals
when winning 1-0 at home to
Burundi - to qualify by the same
aggregate scoreline.
Joel Mogorosi, part of the 2012
LIBERIA OUT OF AFCON

UNANNOUNCED TRANSACTIONS

Nations Cup squad, scored the
vital goal just ahead of the hour
mark.
Claude LeRoy is a coach who
won the Nations Cup as long
ago as 1988 and the Frenchman
guided his Congo (Brazzaville)
side into the next round with a
comprehensive 3-0 home defeat
of Namibia .
The win took them through 3-1
on aggregate and the Red Devils,
who won the Nations Cup in
1972 but who have qualifed
for just one fnals in the last 20
years, will now face Rwanda.
Kenya aside, Mozambique,
Sierra Leone, Rwanda and
Uganda also progressed after
qualifers on Friday and Saturday.
After the second round of
qualifying ends in August, the
third and fnal group stage -
which features 28 teams trying
to take the 15 places available -
will get underway in September
before fnishing in November.
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
starts in Morocco on 17 January,
with the fnal taking place on 8
February.
W
ith less than
two weeks to
kick-off, will
Liberia be
represented at
the World Cup in Brazil?
That is highly likely with Liberia
Football Association (LFA)
President Musa Bility expected
to lead a delegation made-up of
vice presidents Musa Shannon and
Cassell Kuoh.
They will attend the 64th congress
in Sao Paulo from June 10-11
before watching some matches,
including the opener between
Brazil and Croatia on June 12.
In keeping with its tradition,
Fifa allocates a certain quota of
tickets among its 209 member
associations with the 32 fnalists
given a higher quota.
But how did Liberia sell its tickets
for the World Cup remains the
major question hanging over Team
Bilitys departure.
For the previous World Cups,
approximately 33 million tickets
were available for sale and similar
amount has gone on sale with
75-percent targeted to go to fans in
and out of Brazil.
Each of the 32 fnalists has a
reserved ticket allocation of eight
percent for each of their respective
matches through a dedicated sales
tool to directly their fans.
That makes 16-percent of the
inventory per match, which is
available for the fan groups of the
two participating nations.
The remaining ticketing allocation
groups include the public, member
association and their citizens,
consumer affliates, hospitality
rights holders, media rights
licensees, as well as complimentary
tickets for media and other guests.
This means that Liberia, like
other members, were allocated
a certain quota of tickets, which
the LFA should have made public
for interested Liberians (at home
or abroad) to purchase in order to
avoid the rigorous and complicated
process of obtaining tickets via the
internet.
But as it was done in 1998, 2002
and 2010, the LFA sold the tickets
on the black market in order to
maximize profts.
Then The News newspaper sports
editor Siebo Williams frst broke
the news about ticket allocation
to Liberia and how it may have
been sold on the black market,
forcing then LFA president Edwin
Snowe into providing clarity at a
reactionary press conference.
LISCR FC president Mustapha
Raji, who had written the FA about
purchasing tickets, was forced to
buy tickets outside of Liberias
quota.
And Bility was apparently furious
when our reporter phoned him
about the FAs unannounced
transaction.
Danesius, I dont owe you
transparency. You believe that we
are not transparent. I called you to
give you information [on what you
said you gathered from Fifa]. You
dont have anything.
You just have rumors and
misinformation. As a journalist, if
you have something to say that I
got proof that LFA received tickets
[from Fifa], then we [can] talk but
you just go around collecting and
writing bullshit, Bility angrily
responded.
Press with a confrmation from
Zurich that Liberia received tickets
to be sold to Liberians, Bility
fipped over: We are not tickets
distributors. We look at the Fifa
allocation and the ones we had
money for we bought it ourselves.
The people who want tickets, they
know how to go buy tickets.
If you want ticket, you [can]
come to the LFA. You put in your
demands and we will sell it to
you. I am not denying what Fifa
is saying but it is not free. Now, I
am sure you are not telling me that
Fifa told you that it [the tickets] is
free.
How did Liberia sell its quota of
tickets for the World Cup in Brazil?
It is about allocation. They [Fifa]
will tell you for the fnals we got
one ticket [for Liberia]. Then they
will tell, Liberia for the semifnals
we will give you two tickets. I am
president of the LFA, the game I
am going to watch, I bought my
ticket because Fifa only gave me
one free ticket.
And that is the opening match.
Nobody else got any free ticket. So
before I go and talk to the public
[about tickets], cant I take care of
myself frst.I beg you mehn, Bility
hanged-off while threatening to fle
a lawsuit, as was done by former
Agriculture Minister Christophe
Toe, should our reporter air or
transcribe his telephone interview
on May 28.
So the LFA is tightlipped on
Liberias allocation for Brazil but
the truth of the matter is those
tickets were sold on the black
market with Bilitys loyal servant
and kinsman serving as a middle
man.
How did Liberia sell its tickets for the World Cup in Brazil?


LFA president Musa Bility Fifa president Sepp Blatter
www.frontpageafricaonline.com
Sports
FrontPage
PRICE L$40 VOL 8 NO.606 MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014
CLIMATE CHANGE DOING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO MONROVIAS BIGGEST SLUM
Monrovia -
N
ot expecting it, at least not for now,
residents of Monrovias biggest
slum, West Point, were awakened
early Friday Morning at around
3:00am when the ocean slammed into their
shacks with a hard throb and the salty water
began to wash away their homes and businesses.
A visitor who went to see the area on Saturday
was shocked when she saw the condition these
people who seem to be at the bottom of Liberias
economic ladder were living in. There had been
left homeless.
There was rusty aluminum zinc everywhere,
which exemplifed the footsteps of the ocean
as it retreated after causing that much damage.
There were also people squatting, doing their
regular thing (toileting) and there was human
feces everywhere shaped in all sizes; small,
medium, large and extra-large. The stranger
almost yelled wuku when she saw one that
was extremely large beyond what you may call
an extra large one.
But on a serious note, the ocean continues
to warn us that West Point is at risk with
communities being that close to the sea. It is
either the government gets prepared to so
do something about moving this community
somewhere else or the ocean might just one day
decide to do it and it would be a big disaster.
THE SEA VEX WITH WEST POINT
Spot News FrontPage

LIBERIA OUT OF AFCON
Lesotho capitalizes on home advantage to advance with 2-0 win over Liberia; 2-1 aggregate
10 Days to go: All the action leading up the Brazil
COUNTDOWN WORLD CUP