Authorities in Republic of the Congo have requested an international arrest warrant through Interpol for Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, president of the national football federation Fecofoot, following his conviction for embezzling $1.1 million in funds provided by FIFA.
Mayolas is currently at large along with his wife and son after all three were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment earlier this month. The charges relate to the misappropriation of financial support allocated under FIFA’s Covid-19 relief programme in February 2021, including nearly $500,000 intended for the country’s women’s national team.
Investigators believe Mayolas fled the country weeks before the court proceedings and may be hiding in either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Regional law enforcement agencies have been alerted, while authorities are working with financial intelligence bodies, including Tracfin, to identify and freeze assets linked to the case.
On 10 March, a court in Brazzaville convicted Mayolas and his family of multiple offences, including money laundering, forgery, and embezzlement. Also convicted were Fecofoot’s general secretary Badji Mombo Wantete and treasurer Raoul Kanda, who each received five-year prison sentences.
Separately, FIFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mayolas, Wantete and Kanda over alleged financial misconduct. The governing body is reviewing potential violations including conflicts of interest, document falsification, and the improper acceptance of benefits, following information submitted to its ethics committee.
Allegations indicate that since assuming leadership of Fecofoot in 2018, Mayolas may have used a network of shell companies to divert FIFA funds. A declaration submitted by presidents of top-tier women’s clubs in Congo claimed that only $20,000 of the $500,000 allocated in 2021 for pandemic relief was ultimately distributed. Mayolas has previously denied the accusations, describing them as politically motivated, while Wantete also rejected the claims. Both officials had earlier faced sanctions from FIFA in 2015, receiving six-month bans for ethics breaches related to gifts and benefits.