KAMPALA: Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President, Eng. Moses Magogo said he would step down to allow Federation of International Football (FIFA) to investigate the allegations of fraud against him, as petitioned by a section of local football stakeholders who said he sold tickets meant for Uganda during 2014 World Cup.
Magogo will step aside for two months to permit pending investigations FIFA over the alleged sale of World Cup tickets that were meant for Ugandans. But some football analysts say Magogo could be impeached if found guilty of selling the purported tickets.
Addressing the 95th FUFA Ordinary Assembly held at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Adjumani yesterday, Magogo said he would step down to allow and wait for the disposal of the case.
This development comes two years when in June 2017, ahead of the FUFA elections in August that year, that brought in Magogo, Makindye West Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Sports in Parliament Allan Ssewanyana petitioned FIFA, arguing that Magogo was involved in the illicit trading of 2014 World Cup tickets that were designated for Ugandans, by FIFA for the 2014 World Cup, and that this was in violation and breach of the FIFA statutes, FIFA Code of Ethics and FIFA Disciplinary Code.
During the time of the inquiry, Magogo said the federation first vice president Justus Mugisha will temporarily take over steer the wheels as the investigations are conducted.
Ssewanyan’s prayer then to the FIFA Ethics and Integrity Committee was to have Magogo suspended as FUFA president as investigations go on, just like was the case with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2015.
Ssewanyana asserted that the receipt of $5,000 by Magogo as part profit from a one US based Howard Schwartz out of the Ugandans designated World Cup tickets for further sale in the US and elsewhere was tantamount to acceptance of gifts and other benefits for personal gain, contrary to Article 21 (2) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Every FIFA World Cup tournament provides a particular number of tickets allocated to each national federation before the competition that happens after every four years, begins.
