Ex Eagles keeper Rufai denies receiving money from Belgian govt

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Thursday, April 11th, 2013

BY JACOB AJOM
The former national team goalkeeper, Peter Rufai has distanced himself from claims in the report that alleged he received money from Belgian football authorities on behalf of the Nigerian community in that country.

“My name remains Prince Peter Rufai. I am not running to anywhere. As I speak with you, my family is still in Belgium, my children live and school in Belgium and my house is just 10 meters away from the Governor of the City of Antwerp’s residence. We are wall-to-wall neighbours,” Rufai said yesterday.

The former Nigeria international said “if there was any such thing, by European standard, my family would have been the first point of contact.”

Rufai said he is a member of the Belgian Football Federation development committee. “In 2008/09, I was awarded a certificate of excellence as champion of youth events organiser in Belgium.

And only last year, I became the first stranger to be given a medal for what they considered my contributions to the development of football in that country.”

He said there was no truth in the report, challenging the writer of the story to publish his identity. He explained further, “last year I paid several visits to Belgium with expatriates for my business and, like I told you, my house and family are all there.

“There is no way I can run away from Belgium. Indeed, it is almost impossible for anybody to commit a crime and want to hide anywhere in the world. Where is the Interpol?” he asked.

A Ghana-based website, SpyGhana.com reports that Rufai allegedly diverted the sum of 200,000 euro that was put in his hand by the Nigerian Community in Belgium and ran to Nigeria last year.

The report claims that the Belgian government has an arrangement in place for ethnic groups and nationals of other countries in Belgium are given financial supports every quarter.

The report further claims that “last year, the Nigerian Community Football Club, an outfit managed by the ex-international and in division four of the Belgian League, received 200,000 euro (about N44 million) from the Belgian authority to prosecute the club’s programmes. Others like Ghana, Sierra Leon were also beneficiaries.

But while others used the money as specified that of Nigeria was diverted by the manager, Rufai who left with it to Nigeria since last year and has not returned.”

Orijoreporter gathered that Dodo Mayana as he is fondly called in Nigeria risks being jailed for three or six months if he returned to Belgium.

-Vanguardwp_posts