NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC-The Bahamas Football Association (BFA) has thrown its support behind Lionel Haven, a former executive member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), who has been slapped with a five year ban by FIFA, football’s governing body.
President Lionel Haven says BFA stands in full support of Haven because it is convinced that he has done nothing wrong.
“Lionel has worked with the BFA for a number of years,” Sealey said.
“He was a dedicated and committed general secretary, who helped us achieve much of what we are being credited for today.”
Haven, also a former Bahamas Football Association’s (BFA) secretary general who has denied any wrong doing, was slapped with a fine of 3000.00 dollars in addition to the five year ban.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee says Haven has failed to disclose information on cash payments at a CFU event in 2011.
“We are confident and satisfied that his involvement in this, is as he stated,” said Sealey.
“I spoke to him immediately after having reported it, and I’m satisfied that he had no involvement in this and we stand behind him.”
FIFA’s Ethics Committee ruled on Friday that Haven is guilty of not disclosing information, in violation of articles 13, 15 and 18 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
The ban stems from the so-called cash for votes controversy in which Caribbean football executives were handed 40,000 dollars stuffed in envelopes at an upscale hotel in Trinidad ahead of the 2011 FIFA presidential election.
