Footage from a documentary on corruption in African soccer, shared exclusively with the BBC, shows World Cup assistant referee Adel Range Marwa accepting a$600 gift from an undercover journalist posing as a Ghanaian official

London, June 8, 2018 (AltAfrika)-A Kenyan referee Aden Marwa Range has resigned from the World Cup after being implicated in a bribery scandal.

The 41-year-old was one of 15 CAF officials set to participate in the upcoming tournament, and one of only two East Africans set to feature.

However, he will now miss out on the tournament after a BBC exposé showed the Kenyan referee allegedly receiving a bribe of $600 ahead of a fixture after being approached by a journalist posing as a Ghanaian football official during the African Nations Championship.

The official, a maths and chemistry teacher at Migori County’s Komotobo Secondary School has duly forfeited his World Cup fee of at least $25,000 plus a match fee of $2,000 after FIFA confirmed that he will be taking no part in the tournament.

It comes just a week before Morocco hope to be awarded the rights to stage the 2026 World Cup, in which the North Africans are taking on a triple bid from Canada/Mexico/United States.

It is unclear how the investigation will affect the 13 June vote in Moscow, if at all.

Despite Fifa rules expressly forbidding officials from receiving gifts that create a conflict of interest, and outlawing the taking of any cash gift, over one hundred were caught doing so by Anas’ team.

“Thank you for the gift, but you know, the most important is our friendship, getting to know each other,” the Kenyan, 41, said after accepting the money.

He had met the undercover reporter for the first time just minutes earlier.

In response to the allegations, Marwa has denied any wrongdoing.

Fifa said it has asked its investigatory and judicial bodies to follow up on the claims raised by the documentary.

“Please be informed that the assistant referee Aden Range Marwa has informed FIFA that he resigns from his role as assistant referee at the upcoming World Cup,” read a FIFA statement, as per BBC Sport.

Range previously officiated at the 2011 U-17 World Cup, and was an assistant referee at the 2012 and 2013 African Cup of Nations tournaments.