ANFA President Ganesh Thapa's woes far from over

The international news agency, Associated Press did, to some degree, what our national media had failed to do for so long.

The news agency dropped a bombshell by making public parts of the audit report, prepared by the international accounting firm PriceWaterhouse Cooper (PWC) that linked All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) supremo Ganesh Thapa and his son Gaurav Thapa to corruption.

So far, we know  ANFA boss  son reportedly received $100,00, and Mr. Thapa  had received $4,366 to  purchase air tickets for his wife and son in relation to the Asian Cup 2011 held in Doha, Qatar.

The report speaks volumes of Mr.  Thapa’s involvement (likely) in unscrupulous and illegal activities, though, there are no compelling evidences to prove it.

I   am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, and he is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

In his   seventeen years   with the football body, this is the first time the ANFA boss has come under   intense   fire and   scrutiny   for his alleged link in shoddy deals. He has never before looked so vulnerable, so exposed and so wobbly.

Mr.Thapa has steadfastly denied his involvement, but the audit report paints a very different story. The entirety of the corruption scandal and the people involved   will be known only after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) completes its investigation.

The report   by PWC   of   former   head of AFC and FIFA vice-president  Mohamed  Bin  Hammam’s alleged involvement in money laundering, tax invasion, bribery and many more has opened the Pandora ’s Box.

The revelation of   Mr.  Thapa and his son’s involvement    was a stunner and did not go down well with the Nepali public. There was outrage, condemnation and a   call   for   investigation on part of the National Sports Council (NSC).

We should be appalled that NSC has done nothing to pursue the facts or   launch its own investigation despite the   magnitude and seriousness of the issue.

Instead   the apex sports body   has   unashamedly shied   away from its obligations, and it has not sought   any   clarifications   from   Mr. Thapa.

The biggest irony of all, however, is that NSC   chief  Yubraj Lama  has made a complete mockery  of his promise that  he would   ensure  financial  transparency  and accountability of the sport associations.

Very few people   remember   that   Mr.  Thapa  was  charged   for misappropriation of  ANFA funds in the past . The football association is a cash cow in terms of revenue generation, and in the wake of the latest corruption scandal, it is imperative for NSC   to   review  the financial management of the football body.

At least   the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has started the investigation into the corruption charges.

The   fast  unfolding  saga of the disgraced Mr. Hammam has rattled and ruffled Mr. Thapa, indeed. Since then  he   has kept   a   very   low profile.    

And contrary to expectations, the mainstream media seem content to remain docile. The corruption scandal, largely downplayed by the national media ,  can no longer be contained. The matter of truth is that they cannot get   over   their infatuation   with the ANFA boss.

Now it does not   really matter whether they care to cover it or not.

AFC acting president Zhang   Jilong   has promised   to   keep  his organization clean  and free of corruption.  The   Asian football   body has   roped in former FBI director Louis Freeh   with the purpose to   speed up and intensify the ongoing probe.

Given  that, it seems  a thorough and profound investigation, and they will leave no  stone unturned. Those that were involved should be investigated, charged and   punished.

Time will tell whether or not  Mr. Thapa and  his son   are  guilty. Regardless of AFC findings, I feel Mr. Thapa’s  days  at AFC  are numbered, but I might me wrong.