The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF)'s Disciplinary committee has lifted a life ban on the referee Othman Kazi.
TFF's Competition Committee slapped Kazi with a life ban over allegations he and two other refs, Omari Miyala and Omari Mfaume solicited bribes when Majimaji hosted Mtibwa Sugar at Majimaji Stadium.
The committee's chairman, Alfred Tibaigana said yesterday TFF had no legal mandate to take such action on the issue. As a result, he said, the committee had decided to suspend Kazi for four months over a separate but related case, until April 2010 when the second round of the Vodacom Premier League climaxes.
Explaining, Tibaigana said there was no proof showing that Kazi was involved in the saga, and the new punishment was for the ref's delay to inform his leaders about the allegations.
However, the disciplinary committee has slapped a three-year ban to three other referees, Omari Miyala, Omari Mfaume and Kamwaga Tambwe, for issuing false information during the bribery case they were also involved in.
Tibaigana said the three submitted contradicting information to the committee that was formed to investigate the allegations.
Meanwhile, he said there was no evidence against Majimaji Sports Club in the bribery case. Therefore, TFF lifted Sh10 million fine imposed by the Competition Committee. FRAT officials Rashid Lwena and Juma Gandi were also set free after the decision.
According to Tibaigan, the committee failed to obtain evidence the two gave match officials Sh200,000 as bribery.
