The former Gabonese football coach of the national under-17 team, accused of alleged sexual assault of hundreds of children, has been arrested by the police, a source close to the prosecutor told AFP on Monday. the Republic of Libreville.
Patrick Assoumou Eyi "was arrested Monday in Ntoum", about 40 km from the capital Libreville and "he is currently in the hands of the police after filing a complaint for an act of pedophilia", explained the judicial source.
On Friday, Sports Minister Franck Nguema declared that Patrick Assoumou Eyi "would have abused hundreds of young boys in the course of his duties".
The case was revealed Thursday by the British daily The Guardian.
The president denounced a "very serious and unacceptable" affair
Well known in Gabonese football circles under the sobriquet of "Capello", Patrick Assoumou Eyi, whose name was made public by The Guardian, was the coach of the national under-17 team until 2017 and was , since, technical director of the football league of the Estuary, the province of the capital Libreville.
On Friday, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba referred to a "very serious and unacceptable" case and instructed "to seize the Minister of Justice for the opening of a judicial investigation in the national football community for sexual abuse having been committed against children, boys and girls ”, but also“ to extend the investigation to all national sports federations ”to“ eradicate potential sexual predators ”.
The Gabonese Football Federation (Fégafoot) on Friday suspended Mr. Eyi from his functions on a provisional basis and seized the Ethics Commission of the National Football League to conduct an investigation, assured AFP Pablo Moussodji Ngoma, the Fégafoot media officer.
