There's a rift in ANOCA and some unanswered questions about the body's finances

An anonymous document at the ANOC General Assembly has led to serious concerns over the organization's leadership and a defiant President

“What we were saying [in Doha] was ‘Let’s have a family discussion’. There are too many scandals coming out of ANOCA, let’s have a discussion and see how we can handle this thing amicably, and that is where we were.”

These are the words of Philipbert Browne , President of the Liberian National Olympic Committee, to Olympics Everywhere after an article came out saying Browne had distributed a “vote of no confidence” document at an Association of National Olympic Committees in Africa Extraordinary Assembly on the sidelines of the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Doha, Qatar. That article was eventually corrected because the situation is less clear cut.

That article led Browne to writing a letter to all of the African NOCs investigating anonymous claims that were distributed before the meeting in Doha, which call for the removal of ANOCA President Mustapha Berraf, Secretary General Ahmed Abou Elgasim Hashim and treasurer Habu Gumel.

In his letter, which has been seen by Olympics Everywhere, Browne corroborates many of the original complaints against Berraf, Hashim, and Gumel, but not all. The issues that could not be corroborated are related to alleged financial mismanagement with ANOCA that only an audit could clear up.

To discuss the situation fully, Browne has called for a sit down by African NOC leadership when opening the new ANOCA headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, next month.

When asked for comment about the situation ANOCA President Mustapha Berraf told Olympics Everywhere that he welcomed seeking clarification about the state of the umbrella organization, but “as for the president of Liberia, and his rant, I think it does not even deserve an answer because only the truth triumphs.”

Berraf is currently under fire from the Minister of Sports in Algeria, and local media have reported that he is under investigation for corruption as well. Berraf has forcefully denounced the allegations in Algeria, he says he is cooperating with the IOC, which have opened an ethics investigation into the matter.

A spokesperson from the IOC confirmed to Olympics Everywhere that “the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer is aware of the allegations,” but offered no further comment.

So how did this situation emerge? To understand we must go back to before the 2019 ANOC General Assembly.

The Whistleblower

On October 17, leaders of the African NOCs received an email from an anonymous address containing a document with a “vote of no confidence” against Berraf, Hashim and Gumel.

The document, which can be viewed here, outlines nine points to which the leadership of ANOCA has allegedly failed the organization and should be faced with a recall vote by NOCs.

The letter was designed for NOC leadership to sign it presenting a front of votes against Berraf, Hashim and Gumel at the Extraordinary General Assembly.

Upon seeing the letter Browne told Olympics Everywhere he presented it to ANOCA leadership as well as members of the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity office. He said he was told by Olympic Solidarity not to bring up the no confidence document in Doha and wait for the next ANOCA General Assembly in Africa. An IOC Spokesperson declined to comment to Olympics Everywhere about that allegation.

However, Berraf said to Olympics Everywhere “the IOC President has called for unity and serenity and that is what we do by ensuring the fraternity of practices,” although it is unclear if that call was from a speech or about the no confidence document.

In Doha, ANOCA was set to pass a new Code of Ethics, which had been drafted by a working group in wake of the governance issues that plagued the organization since the 2017 General Assembly in Djibouti. There, Lassana Palenfo the former President won re-election to a fourth term under controversial circumstances, that led to the election being annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Palenfo stepping down, and Berraf being elected at an Extraordinary General Assembly in 2018 in Tokyo.

Reports about the no confidence letter emerged after the 2019 Extraordinary General Assembly.

The Response Letter

After the Inside the Games report about the no confidence letter, Browne said he was compelled to draft a response letter to clear up any association with the original no confidence letter:

The Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC) wants to state officially forthe record that at no time did the NOC of Liberia write, circulate or speak to any NOC in Doha/Qatar of a “Vote of No Confidence” against the ANOCA Administration as is being alleged by the October 23, 2019 edition of Inside The Game. The NOC of Liberia wants to further state for the record that it received the “Vote of No Confidence” like all African NOCs attending the General Assembly in Doha/Qatar by an anonymous e-mail.

The NOC of Liberia is not a coward but a responsible member of ANOCA andd oes not, in any way, shy away from owing up to its responsibility, once thatsame is legal, just and falls within ethics and Constitutional borders of ANOCA in particular and the Olympic Movement governed by the Olympic Charter Worldwide.

In the same letter, Browne writes that he has corroborated a number of scandals and lawsuits that are currently plaguing ANOCA and reiterated calls for another Extraordinary Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria next month during the opening of the new ANOCA headquarters.

At the time of his letter, ANOCA was facing multiple lawsuits regarding the termination of two employees, Mohamed Azzoug, and Elisabeth Emana. There is a third lawsuit from the failed “African Village” hospitality zone during the 2012 Olympics in London that continues to hamper ANOCA’s finances. Also, ANOCA was allegedly preparing a lawsuit against former President Lassana Palenfo.

According to Browne, in the wake of his letter the lawsuit was withdrawn against Palenfo, and an “order was granted to serve Azzoug in Algeria”. A second source confirmed the withdrawal of the lawsuit against Palenfo.

A number of other financial matters were confirmed by Gumel to Browne after asking about situations raised in the “no confidence” letter, although not all could be corroborated. Browne says the most damning piece of evidence was ANOCA administration signing off on payments to Berraf’s personal bank account to pay for travel expenses for his assistant, who was not an ANOCA employee. Browne said that Gumel told him that a letter of employment would be drawn up, so that this arrangement would no longer constitute an irregularity, yet the practice had been going on for a year.

“If the whistle blower had not brought these matters to light it would have continued,” Brown said to Olympics Everywhere. “And now, they are not giving the special assistant a letter.

“This is a whistle blower that has a lot of information about what has transpired, and is an eye opener and led me to investigate. The only thing I could not verify independently was the situation was financial malpractices because I have not done an audit.”

When asked about the situation with his assistant Berraf told Olympics Everywhere that “he has never received any salary, for voluntary activities with reimbursement of the ticket and a few per diems compliant with the regulations”.

“The accounts of ANOCA are verified by Olympic Solidarity before being debited for any dollar and the main account is in Switzerland under the tutelage of the IOC,” Berraf added. "With regard to ANOCA, we are open to all possible audits even on your behalf.”

Whistle blower continues pressure

On October 28 the anonymous source once again emailed leaders of NOCs in ANOCA passing along information “that once again calls into question the honesty and credibility of the President of ANOCA”.

Olympics Everywhere obtained a copy of the email, which contained a picture of a Facebook post by the Algerian Olympic Committee, which “[declared] that a motion of confidence was unanimously voted in favor of President Berraf”. The post can be found here.

The rest of the email deals with an interview that was done in Algeria where the Minister of Sports speaks about Berraf and current strained relationship the two men have over how sport is run in the country. The anonymous email provided a transcript of the full interview, which can be found on YouTube:

The email notes that the full transcript of the interview is much more wide-ranging than an alleged copy of what Berraf sent to the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Pâquerette Girard Zappelli, which the IOC confirmed receiving.

The email describes two documents as an “Interview given by the Minister of Algerian Sports of which only the last part was transmitted by Mr. Berraf to Ms. Pâquerette of the IOC Ethics Commission (Exhibit 4) as a retraction by the Minister of Sports. The interview shows, however, that the file has been sent to justice and the Minister affirms that no one is above the law”.

“Of a truth no one is above the law and the rules of ethics!” writes the anonymous whistle blower at the end of the email.

Regarding the interview in Algeria, Berraf sent the following statement, which he had already sent to a reporter for the website FrancsJeux. The statement, below, also addresses that the Algerian Minister of Sport allegedly retracted his statements from the television interview, which is also the comment that Berraf sent to Zappelli:

The president of the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA), Mustapha Berraf, President-elect that I am, is forced to react to the accusations that were made against me two months ago.

 In this statement that has been issued today and in my capacity as a primary leader of the African Olympic movement, I defend myself by qualifying these accusations of "false and defamatory maneuvers" according to the law; they harm the image of the Olympic Committee, Algerian Sport, my personality as well as my honour".

Therefore, I have the honour to inform the public and the athletes of the following information:

Concerning this case, it should be noted that it was settled by a final and definitive acquittal from the Algerian court and that the alleged facts held against me date from 2009 and concern transactions dating from 2004.

It is needless to say that the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee, which I had the privilege of chairing during this period, completed a stadium and an athletics track approved by the International Federation of Kabylian Athletics in Tikjda during the Black Decade at an altitude of about 1800 meters, a fitness path of multiple kilometers and a total renovation of a building that had been wrecked and set on fire by terrorists.

All these achievements may seem impossible with the modest sum of 150,000 USD, given by the IAAF and the IOC since no government funds were given for this purpose, but it is thanks to sponsors and patrons that this work has been completed.

After providing all the evidence that proves these statements true, the same officials who slandered me withdrawn their claims live on the most watched television channel in Algeria "ENNAHAR" and affirmed:

“Mustapha Berraf is a nationalist; a great leader of the world. He has done a lot for Algeria and for Africa.”

What’s next going forward?

The situation currently remains unresolved, as there remains one open lawsuit against ANOCA in Nigeria, the case of Elisabeth Emana.

Browne’s letter describes the scene before the dismissal of Emana, which has strained relations within the Executive Committee of ANOCA:

Thirdly: In Cape Verde, Elizabeth and First Vice President Joao were accused of undermining the President of ANOCA by siding with the Minister of Sports in Morocco relative to the Marketing Contract for the 12th African Games. Owing to this, the President, Mr. Mustapha Berraf, and First Vice President, Mr. Joao Manuel Da Costa Alegre Afonso, are not on speaking term sand have no dealings.

The case is due to be heard next month in Nigeria. According to documents seen by Olympics Everywhere the case is based on “illegal termination,” of Emana’s contract.

A letter from Emana’s lawyers was sent to ANOCA asking for her reinstatement to prevent the trial from going forward:

The act of termination smacks of bad faith, illegality, intimidation and gender discrimination against a competent and responsible woman. Our client has in the last 1 year in ANOCA been at the receiving end of discrimination, intimidation, threat, subjugation by the ANOCA Management. A build up of events leading to the purported termination shows clearly that the ANOCA Management is on a vendetta mission against our client without any legally justifiable reason.

Berraf, meanwhile, remained defiant while addressing the two lawsuits in his comment to FrancsJeux:

As for the other fabrications that have emanated from some people who have been “deprived” of salaries and huge benefits by the termination of their contract with the ANOCA or from some pseudo leaders who have seen their own interests affected, I cannot answer to those because of the secrecy of the investigation as the cases in question have been the subject of complaints to the competent courts.

These maneuvers, which have been led by two people, can in no way alter our determination to return ANOCA’s credentials according to the IOC’s guidelines on good governance.

We are overwhelmingly aware that it is time to come together to address the major challenges faced by both the African sport and its athletes, and we will ensure that our organization is managed in a sound and transparent manner.

As the situation continues to go forward, Berraf has said it is unlikely that there will be an Extraordinary General Assembly during the opening of the ANOCA headquarters in mid-November because Southern African NOCs will be attending a meeting in Ghana shortly after.

Browne said he will not relent in pressuring leadership to clarify all of the issues brought up in the original anonymous document when he will be in Abuja for the opening of ANOCA headquarters.

“[I] hope they will keep their promise to walk me through the process and hope time would be in our favor,” Browne said.