By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has been granted bail of R20 000 following his arrest on charges of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million.
Jordaan appeared in Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, with former Safa chief financial officer Gronnie Hluyo, 55, and businessman Trevor Neethling, 46.
Magistrate Phillip Venter granted bail to Jordaan and his two co-accused, setting the amount at R20 000 each.The State did not oppose the applications.
In their bail applications, Jordaan and Hluyo said their arrests were an abuse of process and that the State had no case against them.
Similarly, Neethling said the allegations against him were frivolous and vexatious.
The three accused have been charged with seven counts, including fraud, theft, conspiracy to commit fraud, and theft.
Their court appearance followed their early-morning arrest in Johannesburg by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, which it said had been pursuing allegations of financial misconduct.
The accusations, stemming from an investigation into activities between 2014 and 2018, suggest that Jordaan misappropriated Safa funds for personal use, including hiring a private security firm and engaging a public relations company without Safa board approval.
The hiring of the communications company to manage his image came after former ANC MP and well-known singer, Jennifer Ferguson, alleged that Jordaan had raped her in 2017.
In March this year, the Hawks raided SAFA’s offices in Nasrec, Johannesburg, and seized a laptop, external hard drives, a USB, and documents.
Hawks are likely to add more charges related to an inflated R70 million payment for the Fun Valley Resort and Entertainment Centre in Johannesburg, as well as issues surrounding the winding down of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust.
This $100 million legacy fund was established after South Africa hosted the continent’s first World Cup. Fullview learned that the Hawks have prepared a comprehensive charge sheet, and Jordaan will need to provide answers in court.
The case has been postponed to December 5, when disclosure of the docket is expected.