The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has banned two officials for 5 years after being found guilty of swindling some 4 Ghanaian players.
The officials include Masvingo provincial vice-chairperson Energy Zava and Tinashe Gomba from the finance division.
On August 7, 2020, the pair appeared before the ZIFA disciplinary committee where they were found to have taken money from some Ghanaian players after inviting them to the country while promising to get them into good-paying clubs.
At the end of the day, the disciplinary committee of ZIFA accused the two officials of acting with an element of forgery, fraud, and human trafficking.
For their punishment, they are to serve a 5-year ban and have been asked to pay US$1,300 to each of the four Ghanaians.
“The deeds of the accused persons are no different from the criminal contact of human traffickers. Young and innocent footballers between the ages of 23 and 24 years were plucked from their families and homes and further swindled of money through elements of misrepresentation, fraud and forgery and dumped without proper accommodation, medical aid or care and turned into beggers in a foreign land”, a verdict from the ZIFA disciplinary committee said.
Another portion read, “The first and second accused persons are ordered to contribute equally in restituting US$1 300 to each of the following Ghanaian players; Nelson Atsu Adenyo, Peter Tibilla, Francis Adjetey and John Adu Poku. A total of US$5 200 to be given in cash within 30 days of the issuing of this order,” the judgment read.
Meanwhile, the 4 Ghanaian footballers are still holed up in the Makondo, an area of Tshovani high-density suburb in Chiredziter. They remain stranded as a result of the travel ban in the country necessitated because of the Coronavirus pandemic.