Fifa says the president of Nepal’s football association has stepped aside from football duty while under investigation for financial wrongdoing yesterday.

Ganesh Thapa “agreed not to participate in any football-related activity” for 120 days while Fifa’s ethics committee studies misconduct claims against Nepal football officials.

A Nepalese parliamentary committee accused Thapa in September of embezzling around $6 million during his 19-year leadership of the football body. Other football officials then asked Fifa’s ethics court to act.

The temporary suspension should not affect Thapa’s membership of Fifa’s Under-20 World Cup committee which is next scheduled to meet in June in New Zealand.

Thapa is an Asian Football Confederation vice-president and ally of its former leader Mohamed bin Hammam, who was banned from Fifa for life.