By Alpha Abu
Seven people have been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Ethics Committee of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) as contained in Press release issued yesterday. The most notable figure among them is Key footballer stakeholder Rodney Michael who is vying for the Presidency of the FA.
The SLFA and the Ministry of Sport had in July 2014 issued a statement about allegations of “match-fixing and unpatriotic conduct”, that led to the indefinite suspension of ten officials and five players. The decision was the culmination of an Ad Hoc Committee that was charged with the responsibility to look into the said allegations. Its report led to the execution of the suspension order. Almost all the persons named had always maintained their innocence and the action further polarized the football landscape and led to acrimonious counter allegations from all sides. Football world governing body FIFA had to conduct integrity checks on the individuals named, focusing on the ethics and integrity of football administration and management in Sierra Leone, which the latest release by the Ethics Committee absolving the seven men acknowledged ,and that must have contributed to it arriving at the decision .
According to the statement by the Ethics Committee constituted on the 2nd February this year, “there is not enough evidence to sustain the allegations made against the following persons of interest: Samuel Ballay, Alphan Koker, Abdul Kanazieu Rollings,Bernard Sorbeh, Victor Lewis, Rodney Michael (and) Ibrahim Koroma.
In a short message posted on social media late Tuesday evening, Michael thanked those whom he said “have taken the responsibility to ensure innocent people are protected and their integrity be restored. He promised to make an official statement today.
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