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A joint investigation by BBC Sport Africa and the Norwegian magazine Josimar may reveal some of the context that has prompted one of the most prominent figures in world football to be questioned by the French authorities. He was interrogated in Paris last week, but was not arrested or charged.
At the heart of the society is an underrated society that President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad, presented to his organization. The French company Tactical Steel has become a key supplier of equipment for Caf, including for this year 's Africa Cup of Nations, though it does not appear to offer much of a chance. football equipment on his website.
Since documents were leaked earlier this year, an agreement reached in 2017 – the year of entry into office of Ahmad – between Caf and the French company Tactical Steel, allowed to monitor the role of the president of Caf.
The December 2017 transaction was notable as Caf canceled an order of 210,217 euros ($ 248,055) from the Puma sportswear company to take an alternative order with Tactical Steel for 1,015,313. dollars. The Puma offer included a 60% discount.
Caf had decided to switch to a different sports brand, but it could not apparently be obtained in time by a local manufacturer, hence the appointment of Tactical Steel.
The move to an unknown new provider has attracted attention.
Coffee initiates believe it is unusual for the African Football Federation to purchase sports equipment through a third party, rather than deal directly with major sports product manufacturers, as was common in the world. past.
The media reported that the orders – providing soccer balls and kits for the African Nations Championship (Chan) in Morocco in January 2018 – were identical, but BBC Sport Africa and its Norwegian colleague Josimar learned that this was not the case.
Ahmad told us that the agreement with Puma covered 13,378 unbranded items and the one with Tactical Steel on 35,460 branded items, but the documents we saw suggested that the difference between orders was much smaller: the agreement with Puma was worth more than 15,000 and more. tactical steel for just over 22,000.
When BBC Sport Africa asked him if Fifa's 59-year-old vice president had canceled the Puma deal and personally approved one with Tactical Steel, a statement from Ahmad's public relations firm said: "These accusations are totally false, malicious and defamatory.
"They are part of a vendetta initiated by a former senior employee of Caf against Caf and his president."
Ahmad spokesman said that it was the administration of the Caf, and not Ahmad as president, who had withheld and negotiated equipment prices with Tactical Steel .
They also said that the Tactical Steel agreement was spread over several years and "not just for Chan 2018".
A member of the Caf Executive Committee stated that the proper procedure had not been followed.
"The first time the words Tactical Steel were mentioned to the Executive Committee was by me [in April 2019]when I reported that there was this company, to which we hired and paid a huge amount of money, and that the Executive Committee was totally unaware, "said Musa Bility.
"Apart from that, nothing shows that [is] any presentation in terms of recommendation of the Finance Committee to the Executive Committee regarding Tactical Steel ", said the Liberian to BBC Sport Africa.
Who are the tactical steel?
Based in La Seyne-sur-Mer, near Toulon, in the south of France, Tactical Steel was registered with the French authorities in 2016 and is specialized in the manufacture of gymnastic equipment.
No mention of its partnership with Caf is made on the Tactical Steel website whose online store does not appear to offer football sportswear or football equipment.
But when Ahmad was commissioned to organize Chan equipment in November 2017, seven months after taking office, the company became a key supplier to FIFA's second largest confederation.
The attache and right hand of Ahmad, Loic Gerand, elected member of the Malagasy Parliament in 2014, is an old friend of Romuald Seiller, the French owner of Tactical Steel (with his wife Sabine).
The BBC and Josimar learned that the two men had served together for five years in the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the French Army.
Despite Gerand 's longstanding relationship with Seillier, Ahmad unequivocally declared to the BBC that there was "no apparent conflict of interest" for his organization.
Nothing suggests that Ahmad personally took advantage of this arrangement, neither the owner of Tactical Steel, Seillier, nor the Ahmad Gerand attache.
The BBC and Josimar asked Seillier and Gerand at the end of May for their comment, but they have not yet received an answer.
Why are the French authorities involved?
The BBC and Josimar have seen emails that would seem to indicate that an affiliate of Tactical Steel, established in March 2018, was also involved in the supply of Caf and that some Caf payments were sent to a Dubai bank account used by the subsidiary and then repaid to its usual bank in France.
While Ahmad was attending the Fifa Congress last week in France, where both Tactical Steel and the affiliate are based, the local authorities acted and questioned the president.
Prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux, of the French city of Marseille, called the interview "part of an investigation into cases of corruption, breach of trust and falsification".
"President [Ahmad], questioned in Paris on June 6 by the Central Office of fight against corruption and financial and tax offenses (OCLCIFF), was released from custody without charge, "said Friday Mr. Tarabeux.
Ahmad would now be at home in Madagascar, where the former senator and minister of fisheries previously headed the local FA.
What are the questions about Ahmad's involvement?
In response to questions from the BBC, Ahmad's public relations team wrote that the president, who had been campaigning on a financial transparency platform, had appealed to Tactical Steel because of the 39, apparent absence of alternative.
"Caf's president, faced with a very difficult situation considering the fact that he was one week away from the first major tournament since his appointment on March 16, 2017, decided to hold back Tactical's services urgently. Steel, a French company specializing in the resale of equipment and sports equipment, "reads the statement of 3 June.
"The president of CAF has presented the company Tactical Steel that" due to the apparent lack of other solutions, "adds the statement, citing the proximity of Toulon with Morocco" so to ensure fast transportation … of equipment "," short notice period "and" year-end vacation constraints ".
An email from Caf seen by the BBC and Josimar indicates that Puma had previously been considered the only sportswear company that the confederation had contacted and that could execute the order.
Nevertheless, this agreement was canceled because Caf decided to appeal to another supplier of sportswear.
The internal emails of Caf of the time read as follows:
- December 18, 2017: Amr Fahmy, Deputy Secretary General of Caf, then General Secretary of it, said: "I confirm that the President has requested the cancellation of this application. [Puma] order and consider a new proposal "
- December 19, 2017: Caf's CFO at the time thanks Seillier, owner of Tactical Steel, for his quote "approved by the president of CAF".
- December 20, 2017: Seillier writes to Ahmad's personal email address, while copying to other Caf employees, thanking him for "the trust you have shown us".
Ahmad blamed former Secretary General Fahmy for not arranging Chan's equipment on time (although the Egyptian took office in November 2017) and described as "false" all the charges against him.
Fahmy declined to comment when approached by the BBC.
Ahmad's public relations team also told us that the agreement signed in 2017 "covers several tournaments such as [the] Africa Cup of Nations, which begins June 21 in Egypt.
In early 2018, shortly after the Chan, documents reviewed by the BBC and Josimar indicate that Caf had also appealed to Tactical Steel for an order for 60,000 hand-stitched footballs with the Caf logo to be distributed to 54 members of the confederation.
This new transaction cost about $ 1,770,320 – about $ 30 per bullet on average – as indicated on an invoice dated April 19, 2018, the terms of which were approved by Caf shortly thereafter.
Shipping costs added an additional $ 738,671 to the transaction.
What future for Ahmad?
The BBC and Josimar believe that the link Tactical Steel has been brought to the attention of the investigation chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee, which allegedly opened a survey on the governance of African football.
"FIFA is asking the French authorities for any information that may be relevant to the investigations in its Ethics Committee," read a statement from the world governing body of football.
Later this month, the Malagasy will oversee his first Nations Cup – the flagship event of Caf – as president of an organization that is under scrutiny.
Josimar is an independent Norwegian football magazine specializing in surveys.
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