Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offence (DCEO) raided the offices of the District Football Association (DIFA) Leribe on Tuesday reportedly demanding the association’s registration list, financial statements and the ballot papers from its most recent DIFA elections.
While the DCEO was raiding the DIFA Leribe offices, its president Khiba Mohoanyane was at the Lesotho Football Association’s (LEFA) headquarters in Maseru where LEFA president Advocate Salemane Phafane was giving his first press conference since football was suspended in January.
Mohoanyane was re-elected as DIFA Leribe president this month by a landslide of 285 votes out of 330. Phafane was fuming when he heard the DCEO raided DIFA Leribe and he unleashed his fury against the government institution.
Phafane said Lesotho will be in trouble if the government or its institutions allow themselves to be used by individuals who are frustrated they lost elections.
He said everything LEFA and its bodies are dreaming of achieving would be for nothing if DCEO starts getting involved in football matters and is used by those who do not want to see the developments put in place by the current leadership.
Phafane said he will speak with the sports minister, Likeleli Tampane, and authorities first before writing to FIFA. He said the person who went to DCEO instead of filing cases and following due process if they are unhappy is playing with fire.
“This is not the behaviour FIFA allows in anyway,” Phafane fumed.
“They are looking at a list of registered C Division teams in Leribe, what the heck does that have to do with DCEO? A list of women’s teams reports from the previous congress and roll call.
I mean you have to be an idiot to be DCEO and be dragged to search these things,” he raged on. “There will be consequences, if there are people who are not happy with the Leribe elections we are here, they must follow due process.
Matlama set an example, they didn’t go to the police or High Court. They filed their cases where they should and even reached the arbitration,” Phafane said.
DCEO spokesperson ’Matlhokomelo Senoko confirmed that the corruption watchdog raided DIFA Leribe but would not reveal what they were looking for or what they found because they are still investigating.
It has not been made public who may have tipped the DCEO but some allege it is Moholi Phelanyane who only came back with a handful of 30 votes in his bid to wrestle the presidency away from Mohoanyane.
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