MOISE KATUMBI, the Congolese multi-millionaire businessman and politician, has come out guns blazing saying allegations he bribed Zimbabwe goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, to influence the outcome of the AFCON Group A match last Sunday, are false, ridiculous and a work of fiction created by a Madagascan newspaper.

He has engaged one of Belgium’s largest law firms, Altius, to try and clear his name and has provided CAF with evidence, including a copy of his passport, to show that he wasn’t in Egypt — as alleged by Madagascar newspaper La Gazette de la Grande — at the time he is alleged to have orchestrated the shady deal.

The businessman said while he attended the 2019 AFCON opening ceremony, at the invitation of CAF and went on to watch the match between the DRC and Uganda, he flew back to Belgium on the very day the Congolese lost to the Cranes 0-2, a day after the tournament started.

Katumbi said his reaction was provoked by a flood of stories, which were sourced from the first article published by La Gazette de la Grande, which have been appearing on various news outlets across the continent and challenged CAF, through their secretary-general Hajji Mouad, to provide a statement that clears his name.

He also revealed he will be taking legal action against La Gazette de la Grande, and all the media outlets that appeared to suggest he was involved in any shady dealing during the 2019 AFCON finals, and said journalists who were feeding off the frenzy, without backing their articles with evidence, were also bringing the reputation of AFCON into disrepute.

“Journalists who invent grotesque #CAN2019 match corruption cases discredit their profession,’’ he tweeted. “Sad, I was not in Egypt when they ‘saw me the day before the match.’ I am a sports lover who always defends merit & fairness!’’State media