South African Football Association president, Danny Jordaan, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with using the organisation’s resources for personal gain in a fraud and theft case totalling 1.3 million rand ($72,000), police said.
Jordaan, who led South Africa’s successful bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, denied the charges in a Johannesburg court.
“The allegations are that between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation’s resources for his personal benefit,” a police statement said.
He is accused of hiring a private security company for his own protection and a public relations company without authorisation from the SAFA board, the statement added.
Jordaan, 73, is reported to have hired the public relations firm after his reputation was damaged when a South African singer and former lawmaker alleged in 2017 that he had sexually assaulted her 25 years prior. He denied the allegations.
He was arrested “following an intensive investigation by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation based in Johannesburg into allegations of R1.3 million fraud and theft,” police said.
Jordaan has served as SAFA president since 2013 and was re-elected for a third term in 2022.
He was arrested alongside SAFA chief financial officer, Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling, head of the communications company cited in the charges, who also denied the accusations.
The court granted the three defendants bail.
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