Monrovia – A three-member committee has been set up by the Liberia Football Association to conduct further inquiry on a decision taken by the Executive Committee to lift the ban on referee Josephus Torjilor.
The Executive Committee during its regular meeting on September 11, 2020 made the appointment.
Torjilor was banned for two years in August of 2019 following an investigation of bribery conducted by the LFA grievance and disciplinary committee and integrity and compliance officer Morris Nahndi Barsi Giah.
During the investigation on 30 July, referee Torjilar admitted to have received L$20,000 (US$100) through mobile money transfer after a second division relegation play-off match between Srimex FC and Pags FC at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) on 21 July, which Pags won 2-0.
The committee found referee Torjilar’s admittance a violation of chapter 13, section two point three of the rules governing the 2019 Orange-sponsored LFA national league.
It states that any referee(s) or match official(s) accused of taking bribe shall be investigated by the disciplinary committee and if found guilty, such match official shall be banned for two years.
Referee Torjilar was also found guilty of having violated chapter 13, section two point six, which states that “match officials are not allowed to accept gifts of any kind from members of clubs, etc. (cash or kind) before, during and after a match. Match official(s) caught will be immediately suspended.”
The LFA in communication informed all of its members, sub-associations, sub-committees, affiliates and partners, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Liberia National Old-timers Association (LONA), to enforce referee Torjilar’s ban.
But the ban was prematurely lifted 10 months after he was banned, something many stakeholders felt was unfair to the game of football.
According to the FA, the decision was reached by the executive committee during one of their meetings and endorsed at the 24th ordinary congress in Paynesville on June12, 2020.
Since the ban was lifted, many of the clubs frowned at the LFA’s decision which they can be equated to corruption.
LFA secretary general Isaac T.Z. Montgomer In a communication sent to the clubs on September 16, 2020 said the decision to revisit the decision by the Executive Committee is a result of the clubs’ appeal to the LFA to rescind the decision taken by the Executive Committee.
The Communication states “Upon request by member clubs to revisit the decision taken by the Executive Committee to lift the ban on referee Josephus Torjilar , the Executive Committee during its regular meeting on September 11, 2020 appointed a three member committee to conduct further inquiry and report within one week on the appeal submitted to rescind the decision taken by the Executive Committee”.
“In view of the aforementioned, we shall communicate with you all on the decision taken by the Executive Committee of the LF,”.
The LFA is yet to announce the names of the members on the committee, something that is not usual in the dissemination of information at the football house.
The latest news from the LFA means the central referee who has been seriously training ahead of the opening of the 2020/2021 league now fate is in the hands of the committee.
FrontPageAfrica has been informed that Torjilar will face the remaining of his ban which has been communicated to the EC and the secretary general.
