Three shamed brothers from the Sodje sporting family have been jailed for milking a charity they set up to help poor Nigerian children.

Former footballers Efe, 46, and Stephen, 43, and former rugby star Bright, 52, were convicted of defrauding the Sodje Sports Foundation.

Their fraud trial heard they set up the charity in 2009 and recruited Sheffield Wednesday FC director Ashley Carson and MP Clive Betts to give it respectability.

But when they asked for bank statements and financial reports, they were refused.

Prosecutor Julian Christopher QC said once the pair quit as trustees and directors in 2013, “the amount of money transferred to the Sodje family increased dramatically”.

Cash from events including auctions, black tie dinners, charity matches went to Sodje accounts.


Former rugby star Bright Sodje was also disgraced

Judge Michael Topolski said “at least £63,000 can be shown to have been received by the fund” – not including cash donations.

Sentencing, he said: “You have brought shame on yourselves and your family.”

He added any past good work would be “for ever tainted by their dishonest and disreputable conduct”.

Semi-pro Stephen, of Bexley, South London, got two years six months, former Crewe Alexandra star Efe 18 months and ex-rugby league and union player Bright, of Sale, Gtr Manchester, 21 months.


Former footballer Stephen Sodje was also jailed

The 2017 convictions can now be reported after the end of a separate money laundering case involving Efe and Sam Sodje, 39, who was cleared of the SSF fraud.

Efe, of Cheadle, Gtr Manchester, was cleared of money laundering last year and, after a retrial, ex-Reading footballer Sam, of Dartford, Kent, was also cleared.


https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/shamed-top-level-footballers-jailed-13888878