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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) is facing another prospect of an own goal against Zifa following revelations that the Zimbabwe Republic Police Commercial Crimes Division has found no case against the Felton Kamambo-led executive committee.

The Sports Commission had engaged the police to investigate Zifa over alleged misappropriation of public funds.

The investigation covers the period from November last year to now.

Prince Mupazviriho, the Sports Commission director-general, wrote to the ZRP seeking their assistance in compelling Zifa to release the information which the regulatory body first demanded in July.

Mupazviriho wrote a letter to the Deputy Director Commercial Crimes Division in the Criminal Investigations Department.

“As indicated in our letter to yourselves, dated 10 July 2019, we now wish to formally request the urgent assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to carry out investigations at Zifa, and any related third parties, in respect of conduct of a criminal nature involving public funds availed to Zifa by the SRC and Government.”

“In particular, we wish that the investigations focus on the following matters of grave concern to the SRC as set out in the letter of July 3.

“Key to this issue is the use of public funds received by Zifa and, or, any of its officials as well as involvement of a company called Conduit Holdings in appearing to obstruct the course of justice by frustrating the Order of the High Court of Zimbabwe.

“The SRC stands by to assist should you require further information,” Mupazviriho wrote.

However, an impeccable source within the Commercial Crimes Division told Chronicle Sport yesterday that from their preliminary investigations, Zifa acted on the advice of Fifa, who actually disbursed the said funds that were deposited into Conduit Holdings, owned by Zifa acting vice president, Phillimon Machana.

“Zifa had creditors who wanted to garnish these funds and they (Zifa) then sought advice from Fifa who told them that those monies are not to be used to pay creditors and if Zifa went ahead and used the money for that purpose then they shall not be eligible for future Fifa grants. That is when that US$740 000 was moved into Conduit Holdings and later transferred to another secret account. As the investigating unit we have, however, written to Fifa to see if we can access Zifa financial statements although at the moment, there seems to be nothing amiss,” said the source.

The same source said they will be looking at other possible “crime scenes” to determine if they could have been misuse of public or government funds by Zifa.

Zifa have been insisting that the only money they received from the government via the SRC was US$53 000 “which we paid to players. Proof of transfers is there and SRC was given such and signed for it.”

Last month, the country’s supreme sports body requested Fifa to dissolve the Zifa executive committee and replace it with a normalisation committee but Fifa turned down that request.