South Africa football chief arrested on fraud, theft charges

South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan was arrested and charged Wednesday with using the group's resources for his own purposes in a fraud and theft case amounting to 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 gain," a police statement said.

He was 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 took a knock when a South African singer and former lawmaker alleged in 2017 that he had sexually assaulted her 25 years previously. 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 been SAFA president since 2013 and was elected for a third time in 2022.

He was arrested with 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 released the three on bail.