Former FIFA Council member and ex-CAF Interim President Constant Omari has been banned for a year ©Getty Images

Former Confederation of African Football (CAF) Interim President Constant Omari has been banned for a year for breaching FIFA's ethics code.

Omari, a former FIFA Council member, was found to have caused "significant damage" to CAF through his role in the continental body's negotiations with Lagardère Sports.

FIFA said Omari received a total of €66,444 (£57,000/$79,000) "in relation to the negotiations that he conducted for an agreement between CAF and Lagardère Sports in connection with the commercialisation of certain TV rights licensed to the LC2 company and to the collection of the latter's outstanding debt".

Omari, also the former head of the DR Congo Football Federation, entered into a plea bargain with FIFA following an ethics investigation into his conduct.

"The negotiations, which were led by Mr Omari on behalf of CAF, resulted in contractual provisions that were particularly detrimental to CAF, causing significant financial damage to the Confederation," FIFA's Ethics Committee said in a statement. 

"In this respect, the receipt of benefits created a conflict of interests that detracted from Mr Omari's ability to perform his duties to CAF with integrity and in an independent and purposeful manner."

Constant Omari struck a plea deal with FIFA following an investigation ©Getty Images
Constant Omari struck a plea deal with FIFA following an investigation ©Getty Images

Omari had been excluded from standing for CAF President in January, when he was serving in the role on an interim basis following the suspension of Ahmad, after failing an eligibility check.

It came after the Congolese official oversaw an amendment to the billion-dollar deal that CAF had made with Lagardère Sports in 2015.

Omari was arrested in DR Congo in March 2018 on corruption charges before later being released.

He had blamed then DR Congo Sports Minister Papy Nyango of orchestrating his arrest for alleged embezzlement.

Omari, elected onto the FIFA Council in 2015, served as member of the organisation's Reform Taskforce, established following the widespread corruption scandal within world football's governing body.

He was an outspoken critic of media coverage of the scandal, which saw several executives arrested and indicted in the United States.

Omari labelled British media as "racist" after reports that African football officials had received cash gifts.

He also chaired the FIFA Anti-racism Taskforce, controversially disbanded in 2016.