Written by Anthony A. Stephens
The Liberia Basketball Federation has with immediate effect suspended two of its executives linked to the alleged misappropriation of funds intended for foreign teams that participated in the just held FIBA Africa men club championship.
LBF vice president named the men as Secretary General Fred Pratt and Executive Committee member Solomon George.
The duo along with two others are accused of misappropriating over thirty seven thousand United States Dollars given to them by the visiting that recently participated in the FIBA Africa men club championship held in the country.
The two other alleged suspects are Curtis Jackson and Samuel Lynch.
Mr. Rufus Anderson told Star Sports the suspension of Mr. Fred Pratt and Mr.Solomon George followed an emergency Executive Committee meeting.
He said the alleged action by the two men was embarrassing for the LBF and the nation at large.
“We can all realized the fact that this was a serious embarrassment not only to the Liberia Basketball Federation but also to the Republic of Liberia,”.
“Because nations became involved and it has become a state issue so it’s a very serious one,” added Mr. Anderson.
The LBF vice president said the men have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.
“We took a decision to have them suspended until after the investigation can be finalized,”.“I don’t’ know when it will be finalized because I think as we speak there should be some court proceeding and until that is finalized, they are suspended,”.
Local mobile company Lone Star Cell has promised to shoulder the responsibility by paying the money to the hotels the basketball executives are indebted to but Mr. Rufus Anderson said the issue was beyond the company payment.
“It’s not the matter of Lone Star Cell like I told you earlier, it has become a national issue. It was the vice president of the Republic of Liberia that intervened to ask Lone Star Celle to come up with what they have come up with,”.
“So it is beyond our own jurisdiction now because it has reached a national state level,” said the LBF vice president.