The South African Football Association (Safa) vice-president Bennett Bailey says fraud accused Danny Jordaan will not vacate his position as president of the football mother body while on trial.
Jordaan, Safa Chief Financial Officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, were each granted R20,000 bail after appearing in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Jordaan and his co-accused have been charged on multiple counts of conspiracy, theft, and fraud.
The charges relate to an intensive investigation by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation into allegations of R1.3 million fraud and theft.
A Hawks spokesperson alleges that between 2014 and 2018, Jordaan used Safa’s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company without authorisation from the Safa Board.
Bailey says there have been no discussions at the Safa national executive level about Jordaan possibly stepping aside during the trial to safeguard the integrity of football’s mother body.
[WATCH] NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane says Safa boss Danny Jordaan and his two co-accused's application at the Johannesburg High Court to evade arrest has been muted by their court appearance. She says Jordaan's application was defective because it had no case number. pic.twitter.com/L2JlbnT6Iz
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) November 13, 2024
Jordaan was due to jet off with Bafana Bafana for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uganda on Friday night. Bafana will then take on South Sudan in Cape Town on Tuesday.
“That (the step aside rule) is a political statement,” Bailey told reporters on Thursday.
“In political parties, especially in the ruling party, that is the policy of that party. At Safa, there is no such thing. You are not guilty until you are proven guilty. And that is our official position to this.”
''Maybe you know of something we don't know of, there is no such discussions. Maybe you know of something we don't, tell us. Let us not look for ghost, then you want to develop a theory around ghost, there's no such thing,'' added Bailey.
Bailey, who is the president of Safa Cape Town, says the charges brought against Jordaan are all part of a plot unseat the president and the current national executive committee.
''And we are here to support him because we know exactly what the agenda is around this, and we will bring that out in court and I hope you will be here when we present the evidence - the agenda is to remove the current executive,'' Bailey added.
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