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Sports Reporter
FORMER ZIFA referees secretary general Obert Zhoya has been banned by FIFA for five years from all football -related activities after being found guilty of sexually-harassing female subordinates.
He has also been fined US$20 400 for the offence.
Zhoya resigned from his post in April this year when FIFA were already investigating the case brought to them by three complaints against him.
And he has been found on the south of the world football mother body’s code of conduct by the FIFA Adjudicatory Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee.
In a statement, FIFA, whose strict stance against all forms of abuse in football is well known said the investigating arm had been satisfied by the evidence it found against Zhoya.
“Upon careful analysis of the written statements of the victims as well as the various evidence collected during the investigations conducted by the investigatory chamber, the adjudicatory chamber was comfortably satisfied that Mr Zhoya had breached article 23 (Protection of physical and mental integrity), art. 25 (Abuse of position) and, by corollary, article 13 (General duties) of the Code of Ethics,” read the statement from FIFA.
Zhoya was informed of the judgement yesterday, the day the five-year ban also came into effect.
Zhoya’s former boss Bryton Malandule also stands accused of abusing female referees and is currently being investigated.
Cases of sexual harassment in football, from the top echelons to the ordinary supporters are rampant in Zimbabwe and experts last night said Zhoya’s case should work as an example to would be offenders.
Online Reporter