Audi alteram partem is a Latin phrase meaning “listen to the other side” FECOFA President Constant Omari Selemani has finally broken his silence three days after he was incarcerated in the DR Congo on allegations of corruption.
The CAF 2nd Vice President who also doubles up as FIFA Council member was held at the public prosecutor’s office in Kinshasa. A statement from the office of Luzolo Bambi, a special adviser to Congo President Joseph Kabila, said the four officials were questioned on suspicion of embezzlement.
Speaking exclusively to www.soka25east.com Omari thanked the government for the speedy resolution to the impasse seeking to debunk the narrative that he was corrupt as he pointed an accusing finger at Sports minister Papy Nyango whom he accused of witch-hunt and vendetta against him.
” I first want to thank the justice department for the quick resolution to the falsehood and malice spread against me that led to my unwarranted arrest with some of my colleagues.Its unfortunate that some people are using lies,falsehood and jealousy to try and intimidate me for no reasons”.
“The Sports Minister is the person who instigated my arrest using framed up charges as he tried to use his office to silence me and humiliate me without any proof.Its absolutely shameful that he is bringing up the false accusations trying to cause panic by casting aspersions about me to my colleagues both at CAF and FIFA so as to soil my name just because he is jealous of my achievements in football and the reputation i have painfully build across the World” Constant Omari told soka25east.com
“If at all i was corrupt and was on the wrong then why was i released without any charges levelled against me?Its clear that the prosecutor’s office found no mistake nor any proof and that the accusations were fabricated because some people have hidden agenda and vendetta against me and my colleagues” Constant Omari added during the telephone interview.
The 60-year-old Omari was elected to the FIFA Council in 2015, one of seven Africans on the 37-member board headed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Already a member of CAF’s executive committee, he was promoted to become one of two vice-presidents of the African confederation last year upon President Ahmad election as CAF President in 2017.
In retaliation to the arrest the Congolese league suspended all games until further notice in a show of “solidarity” with Omari and the two other federation officials. The league said they had been “humiliated and unjustly deprived of their liberty.”
