MONROVIA, Montserrado – The vice president for administration of the Liberia Football Association, Musa Shannon, who is a presidential candidate in the LFA election on April 14, has admitted to receiving a share of the money FIFA sent during the Ebola period for awareness.
Appearing on one of Liberia’s most listened to radio shows, “50-50,†which is aired on Sky FM, Shannon admitted to receiving US$1,500 from the US$50,000 FIFA sent to fight the Ebola disease in 2014.
He confessed in the presence of his two oppositions, Mustapha Raji and George Solo, who were also guests on the radio program on Friday, April 6. The LFA vice president said he received the money not knowing its intended purpose, even though he is the vice president for administration, which makes him the second man in the administration behind the president.
The former Lone Star player often contradicted himself, first stating that he didn’t know what the money was intended for, before later admitting that the president of the LFA informed him that money was intended for Ebola awareness.
“The issue of the Ebola money was about US$50,000 that was sent to Liberian football that was used for the purposes of awareness and sensitization during the Ebola time,†he said.
“Unfortunately, at the time, personally, I was not aware that [the] money was being given for the purpose. The president told us that we should go in our community and do awareness and that’s what we did. What I received was US$1,500, which I have returned to Liberian football because it has become a contentious issue. If I want to eat money, it’s not US$1,500. So, if you calculate that Shannon received US$1,500 and this is the issue that’s going to question his integrity, is why I returned the money because it doesn’t make sense to me.â€
The issue of the pilfered Ebola funds was raised in 2016 by an executive committee member, Rochell Woodson. Woodson, who was being expelled, raised the alarm over the misuse of the US$50,000 that was sent by FIFA.
Featured photo by T. Kla Wesley Jr.Â
