Athletics Federation of Nigeria ((AFN) president, Shehu Ibrahim Gusau and a former Technical Director of the federation Sunday Adeleye have been charged by the Inspector General of Police before a Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja for criminal conspiracy, misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and cheating in violation of the Nigeria Penal Code.
According to the first information report in suit CR/99/2020 IGP Vs Ibrahim Shehu Gusau & two others, Gusau was alleged to have conspired with Adeleye and Dynamic Sporting Solution Nigeria Limited (Adeleye’s company) to cheat the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.
The charge sheet read that Gusau and the co-accused “fraudulently inducing PUMA based at Doha to pay the sum of $75,000.00 USD (seventy-five thousand US Dollars) into Account No. 0015296488 operated by Dynamic Sporting Solution Nig Ltd in the guise of sponsoring the federation sporting activities” which they then converted to their personal use.
Gusau and Adeleye have been granted bail with hearing in the case expected to commence next week.
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This action was in reaction to a petition written by board members of the AFN to the IGP accusing Gusau and Adeleye of diverting into the account of Dynamic Sporting Solution Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Adeleye, then a board member of the AFN, monies paid by sportswear and equipments manufacturer, PUMA as sponsorship fees to kit Nigerian track and field athletes.
The AFN board members claimed in the petition that Gusau and Adeleye signed the sponsorship deal without the knowledge of the board and most importantly the Secretary General who the federation’s constitution, article 8.7.2 says is the accounting officer of the federation and must be privy to any and all financial decisions made by the federation.
Article 8.7.2 also made the Secretary General the custodian of all documents (which MUST include the PUMA contract), properties (which MUST also include all kits and equipments supplied by PUMA to the federation as part of its contractual obligations) and records.
PUMA had in a letter early last year (February 13,2020) confirmed it signed an agreement on July 24,2019 with Messrs Ibrahim Gusau and Sunday Adeleye to sponsor the Nigerian track and field team and that it has met all its financial obligations to the federation.
PUMA further stated in the letter that the duo nominated the bank account of Dynamic Sporting Solution to warehouse financial commitments of the sponsor (PUMA).
“The amounts payable to the Athletic Federation of Nigeria have duly been paid into the nominated bank account of Dynamic Sporting Solutions Nigeria Limited as the authorized recipient,” PUMA wrote in the letter.
The contract was signed in July 2019 without the knowledge of majority of the board members and of course the chief administrative and financial head of the AFN, the Secretary General.
A similar action instituted by the Nigeria Police against Gusau and Adeleye is already before the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) as the actions of the duo also tantamount to breaches of World Athletics Integrity Code of Ethics.
The AFN board members’ petition to the AIU alleges that Gusau has violated article 3,sub-sections 3.3.1 which advocates honesty and transparency and particularly 3.3.5 which bothers on conflict of interest.
The sub-section (3.3.5 Disclose Interests) reads thus:”To ensure conflicts of interest are minimised and interests properly disclosed as specified in the Vetting Rules and the Conflicts, Disclosures and Gifts Rules.”
The petition alleges that money meant for AFN was paid into the account of a private company owned by one of its board members who incidentally also negotiated the deal with PUMA together with the federation’s president.
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