By Danesius Marteh
Shaita Angels President Benita Whitney Urey has asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to temporarily lift a three-year ban from all football related activities imposed by the Liberia Football Association (LFA).
In an appellate brief filed on 22 April and obtained by Verity, Mawuli K. Avorgah requested CAS to order provisional and conservatory measures suspending the appealed decision to enable Benita fully supervise her club in the title decider of the women’s upper division because Shaita are in a two-horse race with champions Determine Girls, who lead by a point ahead of the final match of the season.
Avorgah also informed CAS that the temporary relief is intended to restore Benita’s rights to participate in all activities of the LFA 30th ordinary and elective congress in Paynesville on 15 May.
He also argued that the ban should be temporarily lifted because it was a grand conspiracy and politically motivated to target Benita because the teams she is alleged to have fixed their matches (Paynesville FC VS Freeport FC and Shaita FC VS Paynesville FC) weren’t punished with a 20-point deduction, a fine of L$400,000 payable within 10 days and a 16-month suspension from all football related activities in keeping with the regulations that governed the 2024/2025 season.
Despite a ruling from the grievance and disciplinary committee on 8 January, a new appeals committee, headed by Cllr. Supu H. W. Cole, Sr. (a former workmate of LFA President Mustapha Ishola Raji at Orange-Liberia) ruled on 2 April after Raji disbanded the previous committee chaired by Cllr. Edwina Barchue for ruling against the LFA in an appeal filed by Jubilee FC on 2 January for an extraordinary congress to amend the statutes.
An online portal was opened by CAS on 24 April for the filing of all briefs, attachments and exhibits in addition to emails and courier after Benita paid a filing fee of US$1,278 (an equivalent of CHF1,000 [Swiss francs]) on 21 April.
CAS has asked the LFA to respond to Benita’s request to temporarily lift the ban pending a full hearing on 6 May.
