By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) have laid charges of ‘criminal defamation’ against the forensic investigator Bart Henderson.
Early last month, the association was caught in another cobweb of a financial scandal after a 44-page report from Henderson Solutions — a company that deals with fraud and corruption cases — was leaked.
In the damning “forensic report” which he titled “OFFSIDES”, Henderson accused Safa’s president Danny Jordaan and chief financial official Gronie Hluyo for running the organisation like a personal fiefdom.
Henderson raised alarms on a huge sum of R6,3 million that was paid to or for the benefit of Jordaan, while his CFO is said to have pocketed R1,67 million as well.
Amid those staggering figures, including the sum of R8,3 million paid to a certain Ngwenya, Henderson also questioned the distribution of the dissolved R600 million from the 2010 Fifa Legacy Trust Fund.
In the briefing that was chaired by Safa’s vice president, Bennet Bailey, Hluyo and CEO Lydia Monyepao, Safa said they’ve decided to go the legal route in clearing their name and individuals against the report.
This was done through their legal team, Fairbridges Wertheim Becker Attorney, who was represented by their Johannesburg director Lesedi Mphahlele at Safa House during the briefing.
“Following the decision of the NEC to take legal action, we subsequently contacted the CEO to draft an affidavit which was used to go and lay a criminal charge against Bart Henderson,” Mphahlele said.
“A case was opened on the 30th of June at Booysens Police Station. Two charges were laid, one criminal defamation and the other one related to the contravening of section 11.1 of the POPI ACT.
“This prohibits any individual or organization from processing private information without the consent of the data subject. The CEO has received the texts from Saps with the case number: CAS 524/6/2023.”
This follows SAFA’s recent announment of a new partnership with Global online sports betting operator 10Bet, and their public row with Banyana Banyana players.