BFA vindicates suspended Phiri

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Wednesday May 8, 2013 00:00

Phiri was recently suspended as the entire Spencer Mmui-led executive committee was dissolved and replaced on an interim basis for alleged abuse of office.The Township Rollers chairman, Mmui, and former Extension Gunners boss William Maboane, who resigned after the league suspension, are alleged to have abused their positions as members of the committee when they loaned themselves funds from the league's coffers in October last year without authorisation from the board. Allegations were that Mmui and Maboane were given cash advances of P12, 000 and P20, 000 respectively.

Phiri, being the third member of the committee, was also ousted despite not taking any cash advance. It has since emerged that the BMC chairman, Phiri, was against the cash advances but his refusal was not enough to stop his senior, Mmui, from going ahead.The league's board wrote a letter to the NEC on January 28 asking for counsel on how to handle the matter.In a response dated February 5, the country's football mother body absolved Phiri and said he must be reinstated with immediate effect. Part of the letter, which Mmegi Sport has in its possession, reads: 'The allegations against Mr Phiri were vague and flimsy to warrant action from the National Disciplinary Committee.'

The letter further points out that Mmui will appear before the NDC at a date yet to be announced while no action will be taken against Maboane since he has already resigned.Maboane quit as Extension Gunners' chairman immediately after his dismissal from the league and is said to have stated that he was resigning to protect the image of the club after being implicated in wrong doing by the BPL board. Maboane was the league's treasurer.The BFA legal advisor, Doctor Pusoentsi, made the recommendations, according to the letter. NEC member, Tariq Babitseng, who was acting BFA chief executive officer when the league wrote to the association, confirmed NEC's decision to vindicate Phiri.'From initial letter we realised he was a whistle blower and we found him not wrong. He reverts to being vice chairman because the board already chose an interim chair,' Babitseng told Mmegi Sport.He also confirmed Maboane was off the hook after his resignation.'(Maboane) he was board member and executive because he belonged to Gunners. Now that he has resigned from the Gunners chairmanship we could not do anything. He is not part of the board.' As for Mmui, Babitseng said he remains suspended from all BFA activities until the NDC decides on the matter.Mmui and his executive had already been replaced by Notwane boss Segolame Ramotlhwa and his Prisons XI counterpart, Anthony Mokento.