Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has handed Kenyan referee Aden Marwa Range life after he was caught on camera receiving a kshs 60,000 as a gift.
The expose by BBC in June ended Marwa’s glowing and fast rising career as a football referee, hence missing out to officiate at the ongoing FIFA world Cup in Russia.
Marwa was handed the biggest disciplinary action with the 22 others have been given 10 years with all coming from West Africa according to the report released following the Saturday’s CAF meeting.
Others like Jallow Ebrima, a Gambian assistant referee and Togolese referees Yanissou Bobeou have both been suspended for 10 years, something that raises concern on Marwa’s case as all were more or less snared in the same trap.
CAF did not disclose much about their findings other than communicating the disciplinary measures taken on the match officials caught in the web of the expose.
Ivory Coast match officials BI Valere Gouho Marius Tan and Coulibaly Abou have been handed the least disciplinary measure, each being suspended for two years.
Eleven other officials, 10 Ghanaian and one Liberian have been suspended pending investigations and are expected to appear before the disciplinary board on August 5.
The investigative piece done by Ghanaian journalist Anas exposed purportedly receiving a 600 USD ‘gift’ from undercover journalists while on official duty during the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco.
The report forced Marwa to resign from his World Cup duty, one that would have seen him come back home from Russia with a handsome pay-cheque of slightly over Sh2.5mn.