{"id":1264617,"date":"2022-12-13T12:20:05","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T12:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/13\/romain-molina-investigative-journalist-to-sue-cameroon-federation\/"},"modified":"2022-12-13T12:20:05","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T12:20:05","slug":"romain-molina-investigative-journalist-to-sue-cameroon-federation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/13\/romain-molina-investigative-journalist-to-sue-cameroon-federation\/","title":{"rendered":"Romain Molina: Investigative journalist to sue Cameroon federation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In its statement, Fecafoot \u2013 led by former international Samuel Eto\u2019o \u2013 said \u201cit is a principle not to negotiate with blackmailers\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A French investigative journalist says he intends to sue the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) after the body published a statement accusing him of attempted blackmail and extortion.<\/span><\/p>\n

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On Friday, Fecafoot stated that one \u2018Romain Molina\u2019 had proposed to drop a story alleging irregularities within Cameroonian football if he was paid 25,000 euros by its president, Samuel Eto\u2019o.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In response, Molina has said the attempted blackmail came from someone impersonating him, adding this should have been clear to Eto\u2019o since he had contacted the former Barcelona striker from his own phone regarding a separate matter in March.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only time I spoke to Eto\u2019o was in March \u2013 and the conversation I had was to warn him about paedophilia cases in a big football academy in Cameroon,\u201d Molina told BBC Sport Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Molina \u2013 who has published several <\/span>articles unveiling sexual abuse<\/span>external-link<\/title><\/svg><\/span> in sport \u2013 asserts that a simple check of the phone numbers sending messages to Eto\u2019o would have established that they came from different accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat so-called number pretending to me is definitely not my number, nor my picture and the guy doesn\u2019t know how to write French properly \u2013 there are big mistakes,\u201d he added of a screengrab he has seen of the imposter\u2019s WhatsApp messages.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s scandalous because when you look at the statement of Fecafoot, they didn\u2019t say it\u2019s me but everyone will believe it\u2019s me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy lawyer will definitely sue because it\u2019s a big lie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In its <\/span>statement on Friday,<\/span>external-link<\/title><\/svg><\/span><\/a> Fecafoot explained that Eto\u2019o \u2013 who took charge of the body last year \u2013 had been contacted \u201cby a correspondent introducing himself as Romain Molina\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe purported to have documents and a flash drive containing audio and telephone conversations that were harmful to the image of the Federation and its president,\u201d the statement read.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRomain Molina added that he was ready to renounce the publication of these elements in exchange for a payment of 25,000 euros.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/span><\/span>
The Fecafoot press release makes reference to both blackmail and extortion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cObviously, the president of Fecafoot never followed up on this request, because it is a principle not to negotiate with blackmailers. In any case, Fecafoot is considering filing a complaint with the French justice system regarding this attempted extortion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fecafoot statement referred to accusations by Molina in an online video that \u201cCameroonian players have paid to be called up to the national team\u201d, which the journalist does not dispute.<\/span><\/p>\n

While saying that he was repeating allegations previously made by other news organisations, <\/span>such as Le Monde,<\/span>external-link<\/title><\/svg><\/span> he says his contact to Eto\u2019o was solely about the sexual abuse allegations at the relevant academy in Cameroon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Molina maintains that Fecafoot \u2013 which has been contacted for comment \u2013 failed to carry out its due diligence prior to publishing its statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy client is used to revealing horrible facts relating to football,\u201d said Molina\u2019s France-based lawyer Mokhtar Adbennouri. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, it is the first time he has been deeply defamed and smeared in a official statement of a football federation. It is totally unacceptable that a national organisation assumes the right to discredit a journalist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eto\u2019o was recently in Qatar for the ongoing World Cup where Cameroon exited in the group stage, having signed off with a <\/span>stunning 1-0 win<\/span> over five-time champions Brazil.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n