Substantial siphoning of AIFF funds by former management: CoA

Can't be taken lightly, sports ministry can take action as per law: CentreNEW DELHI: Before being disbanded, the committee of administrators (CoA) informed the Supreme Court that ongoing forensic audit of the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) accounts has prima facie revealed massive siphoning of funds by its previous management headed by former Union minister and NCP leader Praful Patel. The CoA's counsel Gopal Shankaranarayanan told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that the forensic audit of AIFF's accounts being conducted by Deloitte has found several financial irregularities. "In a preliminary report to the CoA, the forensic auditors have prima facie found substantial siphoning of funds by the previous administration," he said.

Read AlsoTo help India host U-1 7 WC, SC disbands CoA

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday disbanded the committee of administrators (CoA), appointed on May 18 for the All India Football Federation, to facilitate the revocation of AIFF's suspension by Fifa and hosting of the prestigious U-17 Women's Football World Cup in India in October. But

In May, the SC had unseated the Patel-led executive council as it had overshot its tenure by two years and appointed the CoA headed by former SC judge A R Dave and comprising former chief election commissioner Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi and former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, on whose petition the HC had started enforcing the National Sports Code and entrusted the management of several national sports bodies to CoAs or former judges, said that FIFA, in league with certain individuals, is attempting to protect those who embezzled AIFF's funds. "The suspension of AIFF and threat to take away U-17 FIFA