Former drug convict and sports administrator Aiyaz Mohammed Musa Umarji will stand in today’s Fiji Football Association’s (Fiji FA) vice-president elections only on ‘certain provisions’.

This was confirmed to SUNsports last night by Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf.

Commonly known as Aiyaz Musa, he is a nominee for the position of Fiji FA vice-president West.

According to the New Zealand Herald report on October 12, 2024, Musa pleaded guilty to importing $5 million of pseudoephedrine – a key ingredient to manufacture meth – and was sentenced in August 2023 to four years in prison.

His jail time was reduced by six months after an appeal, and Musa appeared in front of the Parole Board for the first time in September, 2024.

The Parole Board was concerned that Musa if released and sent back to Fiji, resume exporting drugs back into New Zealand.

“The Board asked Musa why he had offended in this way and he frankly acknowledged that it was greed. Musa said he would be paid $10 per packet of the Actifed pills that were removed from the shipment by the person that he used for freight forwarding.”

After a lengthy discussion, the Parole Board was persuaded it was “very unlikely” that Musa would get back into the drug trade. This was because Musa had a strong support who assured the Parole Board that he no longer had any role in the family business involved with importing pharmaceuticals.

The Parole Board also accepted that Musa was dealing with a co-offender, rather than directly with a criminal syndicate in New Zealand.

Musa is unable to return to New Zealand until his sentence ends in February 2027.

“A circular has been sent to all districts as per the ruling from CAS (The Court Arbitration for Sport). He (Musa) is eligible to stand under certain provisions,” Yusuf said.

“He will be eligible to contest for the election. If he wins, he is still not active until the CAS makes final decision after full hearing.”

Yusuf indicated that Musa’s full hearing may take months depending on the lawyer and case.

“It’s a big legal write-up; they have overruled the Fiji FA governance committee who made him (Musa) ineligible,” he said.

“On provincial basis, he’s allowed to contest just to avoid any procedural harm to anybody.”

Yusuf confirmed they have received a directive direction from CAS (The Court Arbitration for Sport) regarding Musa. He indicated the Fiji FA lawyers met and analysed the directive and found certain provisions.

Musa was a former Fiji FA vice-president and a committee member of football’s global governing body, FIFA.

Feedback: ioane.asioli@fijisun.com.fj