FERWAFA bans three referees for life over match-fixing
The trio are accused of compromising the integrity of the Rwanda Premier League.
Rwanda.- The Rwandan Football Federation has handed three Rwandan referees lifetime bans over match-fixing allegations.
Amida Hemedi, Ally Uwimana and Djihadi Mbarute are accused of compromising the integrity of the Rwanda Premier League by fixing matches on various occasions.
At the centre of the scandal is Hemedi, who is reportedly the mastermind behind the match-fixing scheme. Uwimana was also banned for encouraging colleagues to wager on matches they were assigned to referee.
Meanwhile, Mbarute’s role in the scheme involved serving as a go-between and accepting payments from those looking to manipulate game outcomes.
The trio have been stripped of their FERWAFA badges and immediately relieved from official refereeing duties. Having lost their credentials and privileges, they can no longer officiate matches recognised or sanctioned by the FERWAFA in Rwanda.
A letter sent to Hemedi and signed by the FERWAFA Secretary-General Adolphe Kalisa reads: “Based on the decisions of the commission in charge of refereeing in Rwanda that met on December 16, 2024, which decided to dismiss you from being a Ferwafa referee because of misconduct which does not fit the values of referees, where you played a role in connecting referees and people who do match-fixing, I am writing to you to inform you that you are no longer among the Ferwafa referees from this date.”
This decisive action marks a crucial milestone in the FA’s campaign to address the issue of match-fixing involving referees in Rwanda. The league believes the move will send a clear message that match-fixing or corruption will not be tolerated in Rwandan football.
The development follows match-fixing allegations against Muhazi United’s assistant coach Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza.
FERWAFA has set up an Integrity Unit to investigate the allegations and recommend disciplinary action if the investigation uncovers evidence of wrongdoing.
