By: Omar Jatta
The dispute between Liberian Football Association’s president Musa Bility and the World Football Governing Body FIFA is set to be settled at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, and a decision expected to be on 31 December.
Musa Hassan Bility is appealing against being excluded from standing in February’s presidential election for the World Football Governing Body, FIFA .
The organisation’s electoral committee ruled 48 year-old Bility out for failing its integrity checks. The checks which FIFA said: involves a review of corporate records, litigation cases, bankruptcy proceedings, potential regulatory actions taken against candidates looking to stand for the organisation’s presidency with further review of media reports concerning potential red flags (fraudulent behaviour, match manipulation, human rights violations, etc).
After the checks for the coming elections in February next year, each of the candidates were asked to comment on the content of the detailed report produced. However the ad-hoc electoral committee did not admit the candidature of Musa Hassan Bility, in view of the content of the integrity check report relating to him. For reasons of protection of personality rights, the committee – while it has explained its considerations in detail to Musa Hassan Bility – did not comment publicly on the specifics of its decision.”
As the decision can be appealed at the court of arbitration for sport in Lausanne Mr Bility filed against it and his case was heard in Switzerland on 23 December.
The court asked Fifa to provide evidence as to why it excluded Bility from its list of candidates.
Bility is aiming to be re-admitted to the presidential race, while also hoping to repair the damage he says has been done to his reputation by last month’s decision.
He is also seeking compensation as well as all legal costs incurred in filing the appeal.
He said, he had been informed by Fifa that his candidacy was “principally rejected” because of a six-month ban from all football activities handed out in 2013.
The ban was imposed by the Confederation of African Football for using confidential documents from the governing body in a legal challenge against its president, Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou is acting Fifa president after Sepp Blatter, vice-president Michel Platini and general secretary Jerome Valcke were all suspended over corruption allegations, both of whom now given long term ban from the game.
