The Serious Commercial Crime Investigation conducted a raid on Safa House on Friday, executing search and seizure warrants as part of their investigation into allegations of fraud and theft linked to Jordaan. It is alleged that the Safa president misappropriated the organisation’s resources for personal gain and breached Safa regulations, resulting in an estimated loss of R1.3 million.
By Telegram Sport Reporter
On Friday, law enforcement authorities in Gauteng carried out a raid at SAFA House in connection to accusations involving SAFA president Danny Jordaan.
Amid increasing rumours, the serious commercial crime investigation team in Gauteng executed search and seizure warrants at the office of the South African Football Association (SAFA).
The police stated that this move was made following allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million, allegedly perpetrated by Jordaan between 2014 and 2018.
There have been allegations regarding the improper use of SAFA resources for personal benefit, including the unauthorised hiring of a private security firm and a public relations company and the breaching of SAFA regulations that resulted in significant financial harm to the organisation.
During the raid, officials seized a laptop, external hard drives, a USB drive, and several documents as part of their probe into these grave accusations.
Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said in a statement: “The warrants were prompted by allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million.
“The allegations are that between 2014 and 2018, the president of Safa used the organisation’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection, a public relations company, without authorisation from the Safa board.
“The president is also reported to have violated Safa statutes, thus prejudicing Safa an actual loss of R1.3 million. During the search, a laptop, external hard drives, a USB and documents were seized.”
SAFA issued a statement saying they found the search and seizure carried out by the Hawks to be regrettable and a disgrace to law enforcement. They also mentioned that they have directed their lawyers to file “an urgent application to review and set aside this search and seizure”.
“The search and seizure conducted by the Hawks at the South African Football Association’s (SAFA) headquarters in Nasrec, in the south of Johannesburg, on Friday, 8 March 2024 was unfortunate and a shame to our law enforcement agencies.
“The Hawks are claiming allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1,3 million. SAFA is well aware of the amount and is satisfied that it was for services rendered, for which contracts can be provided.
“We want to set it out from the onset that we believe the search was unlawful, malicious and not conducted in terms of the directives of a warrant given to us.
“We were not furnished with all the documents prescribed by law. The documents that were furnished by the Hawks during the shameful raid were incomplete and unlawful. We contend that it was done deliberately and intentionally in order to action this malicious action.
“As a result of this, we have instructed our attorneys to bring an urgent application to review and set aside this search and seizure. We have further instructed our attorneys to bring a formal complaint to the oversight arbitrator of the Hawks regarding the actions of all involved members.
“We will further institute civil action for defamation of character against those involved in the naming of the SAFA President’s name in an ongoing investigation. We contend that this is unethical and unlawful as the police never mentioned anyone’s name in matters that are under investigation.
“We believe, unfortunately, that these members of the police have been compromised and are being used in the callous abuse of state resources. Let us reiterate, there is no money missing from SAFA.”
Fraud allegations have followed Danny Jordaan
Jordaan, a prominent figure in South African football, has been embroiled in controversy due to accusations of fraudulent activities, since his tenure as the president of SAFA.
In May 2023, Bart Henderson, a forensic investigator with a strong background in fraud examination, discovered a range of problems related to governance, risk, compliance, and transactions that caused significant alarm.
The most prominent controversy revolved around an alleged $10 million payment aimed at securing the hosting rights for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, indicating a pattern of financial mismanagement within SAFA.
“The 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust, which was set up with the intention of being a long-term self-sustaining source of funding for the development of soccer in South Africa, has been systematically plundered of over R600 million, starting in 2013 when Danny Jordaan was elected SAFA President. Arguably only two people have ever seen the financial records of SAFA, being Jordaan and the SAFA CFO, Gronie Hluyo. The Trust was irregularly dissolved by Jordaan before the Trustees ever had sight of its financial statements and records,” wrote Henderson in a petition titled SA Sports Under Siege.
In the past, Willie Mooka, a former member of Safa’s national executive committee, said he opened a case against Danny Jordaan. Mooka, along with other former Safa executive members such as Gay Mokoena, have been actively engaged in efforts to bring to light instances of malpractice and financial mismanagement within Safa.
Allegations have been made against Jordaan, accusing him of operating Safa in a manner akin to a personal domain, disregarding corporate governance principles and contravening Safa’s established statutes.
Jordaan and Safa have maintained their innocence in response to these accusations.