Lawyers representing Aminata Bangura, the only female contender in the race for the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) presidency, have called to question the ethics committee over what they describe as an “unproven and damaging” allegation of fraud against their client.
The controversy centers on claims that Bangura submitted a forged police clearance certificate as part of her nomination documents for the upcoming SLFA presidential elections. According to her legal team, the certificate, dated June 10, 2025, was duly issued by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and bore the authentic signature of the institution’s head.
However, during a hearing before the SLFA ethics committee on July 12, Madam Bangura was reportedly confronted for the first time with a letter rescinding the clearance, signed by the same CID official, casting doubt over its legitimacy. Her lawyers argue that she had never been served with this rescinding letter and had no prior knowledge of the matter until the hearing.
“Nowhere in the said letter was it stated that our client forged the clearance or the signature,” the legal statement reads. “Any administrative lapse antecedent to the issuance of the certificate should be imputed to the management of the police and not our client.”
The legal team further stated that Bangura has since applied for a new police clearance, with receipt of payment and processing confirmation sent to the committee.
Citing the SLFA’s own integrity screening standards, which require either a criminal conviction or disciplinary action by a recognized sporting body for disqualification, the lawyers argue that the accusation lacks any legal or procedural basis.
Imputing fraud without any prosecutorial conclusion is inconsistent with SLFA integrity provisions and amounts to a grave reputational attack, the statement warns, adding that such actions could have far-reaching implications for Bangura’s career and international engagements.
The letter, which has been copied to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, puts the SLFA ethics committee on notice that any finding suggesting fraud without supporting legal evidence could trigger legal action for defamation and a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
As tensions mount ahead of the SLFA elections, this matter could become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over transparency, due process, and fair play in the country’s football governance.
Neither the ethics committee nor the police have made any official response.