‘Thapa solicited and accepted cash payments for personal and family gain’
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KATHMANDU, Nov 16: Ganesh Thapa, the long-serving president of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), has been banned for 10 years by world football governing body FIFA from all activities related to the game both at national and international levels.
Thapa, also the the former vice president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) who has been at the helm of ANFA for the last two decade, has also been fined 20,000 Swiss francs (Rs 2.1 million).
The Ethics Committee has concluded that Thapa was involved in bribery during 2009 and 2011 FIFA election to choose AFC delegations. "Mr Thapa in the context of the 2009 and 2011 elections for the FIFA Executive Committee at the AFC congress, committed various acts of misconduct over several years, including the solicitation and acceptance of cash payments from another football official, for both personal and family gain," reads the statement of FIFA.
Thapa is also a member of parliament and younger brother of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa. He was nominated to the parliament by Kamal Thapa's Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal in August last year.
"Specifically, he was found guilty of infringing article 13 (General rules of conduct), article 15 (Loyalty), article 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting), article 19 (Conflicts of interest), article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) and article 21 (Bribery and corruption) of the FIFA Code of Ethics. Mr Thapa has therefore been banned for ten years from all football-related activities and fined CHF 20,000," the statement further says.
Thapa however claimed innocence. "I am very disappointed and I don't believe that justice has been served," Thapa said in a statement. He also said he will appeal against the decision. "I have fully cooperated with FIFA during their investigations since last four years. I shall demand a full statement regarding the decision. I intend to follow the necessary steps at FIFA and if necessary CAS (Court of Arbitration of Sports) to establish my innocence."
Thapa, one of the close aides to former AFC chief Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, who was banned for life since 2012, was under FIFA investigations since November 4 last year. Thapa had refrained from his duty at ANFA for seven months since November 4.
It was revealed in July 2012 that Gaurav Thapa, then staffer at the AFC had received a total of $100,000 from AFC coffers in July and August of 2009. Similarly, in June 2014 it came to light that Thapa himself received £115,000 from two separate accounts of Hammam in 2010. Thapa had then admitted that he received the amount from Hammam. Regarding the amount received by Gaurav, he had said that it was a credit given to him for medical purpose and later he received the money from a business partnership with the Qatari.
Earlier, in September 29, 2014, the parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), had accused All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Ganesh Thapa of financial irregularities worth Rs 581.7 million. PAC had reached such conclusion responding to a joint complaint lodged by ANFA Vice-presidents Karma Chhiring Sherpa and Bijaya Narayan Manandhar. ANFA sacked the dissident vice presidents from the football governing body a few months ago.
PAC had directed the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority to carry out necessary investigations and take action within two months. However, the CIAA on February 18 gave clean chit to Thapa and put the corruption case under hold.
ANFA has been plagued by internal disputes since long and five probe committees have been formed so far at the national level since Thapa took over the helm of ANFA in 1995. However, he has managed to get clean chits on all occasions.
Along with Thapa, Viphet Sihachakr, the president of the Lao Football Federation, has been banned for two years and fined 40,000 Swiss francs.
