A member of Gabon’s football federation (Fegafoot) was arrested on the tarmac of Libreville’s international airport moments after the team’s plane returned from the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
Serge Mombo was a designated kit man in Cameroon, where the Gabonese were knocked out of the competition in the last 16 by Burkina Faso on Sunday.
The arrest is part of the Gabonese government’s inquiry into alleged widespread sexual abuse in football following allegations reported by the GuardianAMP.
Mombo has denied any wrongdoing.
Five members of Gabon’s football community have now been arrested following allegations made against of them of raping and sexually abusing minors.
These include Patrick Eyi, a former coach of Gabon’s national Under-17 team widely known as ‘Capello’, as well as three local lower-tier coaches.