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Mambwe:Kalusha Bwalya Must Resign To Protect His Reputation
Football administrator Alex Mambwe has asked FAZ president Bwalya to resign on moral grounds.
Bwalya allegedly received US$80,000 from former FIFA vice-president Mohammad Bin Hammam which he claims was a debt meant to help run the affairs of the Football Association of Zambia, but has refused to state whether the money was remitted to Football House.
Auditor General Anna Chifungula yesterday said her office had taken interest in the revelations by the UK’s Sunday Times that published Bwalya’s emails to Bin Hammam, asking for money for the running of FAZ and his personal expenditure in 2009 and 2011.
She said FAZ was normally audited in three to four years, but in the wake of the corruption allegations, her office would be forced to audit them as soon as possible.
“We may squeeze them (in the audit programme) in view of what we have heard because we would want to look closely at what has happened. We could audit them sometime this year or first thing 2015. Our forensic audit director is working on that because he was asking me on that (FAZ). We have taken interest and that will force us to audit them as quickly as possible because with what is happening they become priority,” Chifungula said.
Asked whether FAZ was audited in the last audit exercise, Chifungula said no.
“They were not audited in the last audit but there was a report on FAZ sometime back, because any institution that receives funds from government is audited. Since it (FAZ) is regarded as a small institution, it takes about three to four years for them to be audited,” said Chifungula.
And Mambwe said Bwalya had broken the ethics of good corporate governance by using the name of the association to obtain money for personal use.
Mambwe said Bwalya needed to resign to protect his reputation as Zambia’s most successful footballer.
“Let him (Bwalya) on moral grounds resign. Because of the name that he made, let him resign. He has to leave some integrity to his name,” Mambwe said.
“If he continues clinging on, these things will continue coming up and it will just mess him. We love him, we still remember the goals he used to score, but we don’t want him to continue being found in scandals.”
Mambwe asked the Auditor General’s office to quickly intervene to save Football House.
“In all this, there is a million dollar question that cannot be defended. The moment the association’s money goes into your account, it becomes an audit query. The Auditor General should even find out. I am asking the Auditor General to intervene because that is the government wing that receives money from government,” Mambwe said.
He said the FAZ audited financial reports had a lot or irregularities that needed to be queried by the Auditor General.
“In the past four years, the audits have been saying ‘limitation in scope’, they cannot provide information on government funding. Limitation in scope simply means failure to provide information to the auditors. Why should the auditing company allow failure to provide information consecutively? What I saw was very simple. There is what we call familiarity threat. Familiarity threat means people are actually familiar with the auditors who they can even talk to, to manufacture the books of accounts. I proposed in the AGM that we change the auditors, but the people got offended and they threw me out, thinking I was bringing anarchy,” Mambwe said.
He also challenged current FAZ executive members to speak out on the money.
“I have read financial reports from FAZ. When I checked the income, I can’t see any income that came from outsiders. Even those old reports that I have, there is nothing like an income coming from Bin Hammam. There is no expenditure to show that they spent that money on FAZ. I challenge the current executive members to come out,” said Mambwe.
The Sunday Times recently alleged that Bwalya was one of 30 African football association presidents said to have been bribed by Bin Hammam for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid.
The Sunday Times alleges that Bwalya received a total of US$80,000 between 2009 and 2011 from Bin Hammam to help solicit a vote for the 2022 World Cup bid, allegations the FAZ president denies despite consenting to receiving US$50,000, which he claims was a debt.
FIFA is investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and is set to complete the phase of investigations by tomorrow, and submit a report to the Adjudicatory Chamber approximately six weeks thereafter. The report will consider all evidence potentially related to the bidding process, including evidence collected from prior investigations.
By Prudence Phiri
Posted by Kunda
on June 8, 2014. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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malama zairo
June 8, 2014 at 4:48 pm
He must go For the future of national team
jamakudi
June 8, 2014 at 6:10 pm
Being good on the field does mean capability to run things. I expected more from kalu but he is a disappointment and a disgrace
auxtony
June 8, 2014 at 6:27 pm
money yalilowa,investigate him
Patrick Mambwe
June 8, 2014 at 6:44 pm
Kalusha Bwalya is a born and raised up from poverty in Mufulira. With little education he rose up to FAZ President. Like all bembas rising to power in such a way,I do not think he can resign. One lame part of his character is that he tries to behave white. As a blackman in a white suite he has ended up in such a way. He should have followed the black pride of greats like Abid Pele, Kanu, Droba. They hae a balck pride instead of overspending and try to leave as Whites. My advise to Mr. Kalusha is resign and remain to your roots.
TC
June 9, 2014 at 11:23 am
Mambwe,
This has nothing to do with tribe, but a lot with personality. By the way, I think Kalusha is from Luapula and there are no Bembas there. We have a lot of ‘bad’ people coming from all tribes and to always stick to the tribe excuse is exhibition of lack of analytical power!
mutingulenu mwizi
June 8, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Fwakutolafwe Bembazi are thiefs we kno them the guy is protected by Pf 2016 Presindent Bemba kambwili
mbilitu
June 8, 2014 at 8:30 pm
Jst step dwn ba kalu b4 u dent ur own reputations.
Suspect
June 8, 2014 at 8:50 pm
There are people in Zambia who are untouchable or above the law one good example great kalulu ,before the issue of bin mad ,they was the issue of misuse of money ,involving in scandals players transfer that is enough for someone to be investigated ,Zambian people let’s get involved in the wealthy of this country if it means to match or to protest until we see change,football loves in Zambia let’s protest by not allowing any game to take place until we hear from kalulu if that money was meant for faz or person use.
Mj
June 8, 2014 at 9:49 pm
@ Patrick Mambwe, Are u sure of what you are saying.Was Kalu raise up from Poverty in Mufulira?
For those of us who come from Mufulira we know that by Zambian standards, Kalu comes from a family of decent earning. His father was a Mine captain and the Mother a Headmistress at Histeleah Basic School.
It is sad that the guy is crooked but going as far as associating his behaviour with his upbring, which you know nothing about is unfortunate.
mwamba
June 8, 2014 at 11:17 pm
Mwebantu ifwe kuno ku Lumwana kuli Tremor (shock waves), can somebody tell us what is going on? For 2 days and 2 nights now, the shock waves are starting with a big bang then the ground shakes, the houses shake as well. We are so scared! Please help us know what is happening?!
kim
June 9, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Mining activities iwe. Lumwana is no fishing camp
Kamushi
June 9, 2014 at 3:56 am
let thoz dat av worked wit kalu tel us de truth.we’v hed gud & bad staf about him.let kno lunatic judge all bembaz, no 1 is perfect
the past
June 9, 2014 at 9:07 am
what reputation baba? dribbling?
chiparamba
June 9, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Kalusha Bwalya is a master dribbler even naku FIFA. It makes sad reading for sure, from FAZ all the way to FIFA just dribbling but mukali umu guys uyu ka.
Maiko
June 9, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Kalusa Bwalya must be arrested for money laundering and theft. How can you borrow money for FAZ which ends up in your personal account? Why mix personal money with corporate money?
frederick
June 9, 2014 at 3:04 pm
mj u r ryt kalu’s family r well backs tap family,more over her mum she waz my headteacher by den,so mr mambwe u shud mind de way u talk 2 some pipo’s familiez…..n u shud owez nt say wat u dnt knw mr….i knw yo opinion counts bt nt on pipo’s familiez my man ok….wateva i still lov de great kalu