FIFA has banned Ian Alves, former general secretary of the Guyana Football Federation -GFF-, for five years after concluding that he abused his position to sexually harass female members of the federation’s staff. The decision was taken by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee, which also imposed a fine of 20,000 Swiss francs on the former official.

The sanction bars Alves from all football-related activities during that period and is based on breaches of several articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics. The governing body found that he had violated article 24, relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity; article 26, on abuse of position; and, by extension, article 14, on general duties.

The Ethics Committee points to abuse of position

The ruling followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions made by Alves and other evidence gathered during the investigation. FIFA said the adjudicatory chamber was “comfortably satisfied” that the former general secretary had committed the breaches included in the case file.

“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said when announcing the sanction. The ban came into force on Monday, once the terms of the decision had been notified to Alves, while the full grounds of the ruling will be communicated within 60 days, in accordance with the Code of Ethics.

The reorganisation of the GFF

Alves had already stepped down from his position in September 2024. Guyanese media reported at the time that the GFF announced the immediate resignation of its general secretary and that the federation’s Council had accepted his departure. The federation also said then that Vanetta Sampson would temporarily oversee the office of the General Secretariat.

The federation later opened a new administrative phase with the appointment of Pushpargha Chattopadhyay as general secretary, announced in June 2025, with his arrival scheduled for 1 August of that year. The GFF highlighted his more than 15 years of experience in football administration, capacity development and strategic leadership.

The sanction is already in force and the case file will be completed with the communication of the full grounds of the decision within the period established by the FIFA Code of Ethics.