Earlier in the week, Danny Jordaan, who was instrumental in securing South Africa’s hosting of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup, had tried to obtain a court injunction to stop his detention.
But since his application won’t be heard by the Johannesburg High Court until Thursday, he was essentially at risk of being arrested on Wednesday.
The police investigation that led to the allegations against him included a raid on SAFA’s premises in March of this year.
Police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the investigation found claims that Jordaan misused SAFA’s resources to further his own interests between 2014 and 2018. This includes engaging a public relations firm and a private security company for personal protection without the necessary authorization from SAFA’s governing board.
The 73-year-old Jordaan is being accused together with two other people: businessman Trevor Neethling and SAFA Chief Financial Officer Gronie Hluyo. Later on the same day as Jordaan’s arrest, both co-accused are expected to appear in court.
Neither SAFA nor Jordaan have released an official statement on the current state of affairs as of yet. Nonetheless, Jordaan has strongly rejected any wrongdoing or impropriety in his court-submitted legal document, claiming his innocence in the case.