The President of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT), Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty in a major corruption case involving the misappropriation of football development funds.

The ruling was delivered by a court on Tuesday following months of investigations and legal proceedings into alleged financial misconduct within the federation.

Mayolas was convicted of offences including money laundering, embezzlement and document forgery. He did not appear in court for the hearing and was therefore sentenced in absentia. The court also handed life sentences to his wife and son after determining that they played roles in the scheme.

Prosecutors said the case centred on the alleged diversion of funds allocated to FECOFOOT by FIFA for football development initiatives.

According to evidence presented during the trial, nearly $1.3 million intended for grassroots football programmes and administrative development was diverted for personal use through a network of fraudulent financial transactions and falsified records.

The investigation also implicated other senior officials within the federation. FECOFOOT’s general secretary, Badji Mombo Wantete, and treasurer, Raoul Kanda, were each sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of participating in the financial misconduct.

Authorities said the verdict followed about eight months of investigations during which prosecutors examined financial records, banking transactions and internal administrative procedures within the federation.

Investigators described the case as evidence of a deeply entrenched system of fraudulent financial management within the football governing body.

The ruling is considered one of the most significant legal actions taken against football officials in the country and is expected to have implications for governance and accountability in the administration of the sport.