The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) has continued to receive funding from the central Government of Uganda, and access to other public resources through its various football development projects.
But accountability and audit into the statement of financial affairs and reports have remained elusive for public consumption.
Upon that background, a couple of city lawyers have joined hands to petition the Auditor General of the Government of Uganda to commission an audit into the statement of accounts at the Federation of Uganda Football Associations.
Through their lawyers and representatives, Muwema and Co. Advocates, Kavuma Kabenge and Friday Roberts Kagoro have petitioned the Auditor General’s office to look into what they have termed as ‘apparent mismanagement of public resources’ under FUFA and it’s president Moses Magogo.
According to documents shown to the media Kabenge and Kagoro have petitioned the country’s supreme audit office on the basis of the way FUFA under Magogo’s leadership has handled the administration of public funds that they have received among others.
They also argue that FUFA has received over UGX 100 billion with the sum coming from grants from FIFA, CAF and the Government of Uganda drawn from the consolidated fund. While gate collections, corporate sponsorships and sale of media and TV rights have also been sources of funding.
The petition further asserts that the financial affairs of FUFA have not been handled and conducted with regularity, as there has been a lack of transparency and accountability at FUFA, something which endangers good governance.
“Since 2013 to date, FUFA under the leadership of its president Eng. Moses Magogo has received more than UGX 100 billion directly or indirectly to run various football activities both within and outside Uganda,” read part of the petition.
Some of the conducts of irregularity highlighted include; failure to produce financial statements between 2013 – 2015 a period in which it received FIFA, CAF and government grants.
It is also alleged that Magogo took personal benefit from the Airtel sponsorship, through a commission earned by his company called Pearl Sporto.
It remains a mystery how much compensation FUFA received from Egyptian club Pyramids FC as compensation for the services of former Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre. The Frenchman received a monthly pay of USD 15,000 from the government.
Additionally, FIFA/CAF grants constitute international assistance funds and therefore deserve to be properly accounted for under the External Assistance (Protection of Funds) Act, Cap 172.
With the FUFA President still serving a two-month suspension for financial impropriety, after he entered a plea bargain following an investigation into the illegal resale of the 2014 World Cup tickets, Kabenge and Co. believe it is the right time for an audit to be effected.
Under the National Council of Sports Regulations 2014, FUFA is established as a public body, and therefore functions as a public body and receives public funding.
Therefore, the Auditor General is given a Constitutional and Statutory mandate under the National Audit Act 2008 to audit accounts of any public organization.
