Wadie Jary, the former president of the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF), has been sentenced to four years in prison on corruption charges, according to a spokesperson from the country’s sports ministry.
The conviction stems from an unlawful contract between the FTF and a technical director during Jary’s tenure. However, his lawyers have stated they will appeal the verdict.
Jary, 52, was first elected as FTF president in 2012 and faced multiple allegations of misconduct throughout his time in office, including match-fixing, financial irregularities, and money laundering—all of which he denied.
His tenure was also marked by ongoing disputes with the Tunisian sports ministry. In January 2021, the Tunisian National Olympic Committee handed him a four-year ban for alleged breaches of national and international Olympic ethics codes.
Despite the ban, Jary was elected to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee in March 2021. He continued to serve on the committee while awaiting trial. CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba told the BBC last year that the organization was “not protecting crooks” and would take action once a legal verdict was reached.
Following the emergence of corruption charges, Jary was taken into custody in October 2023.
