The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has raised concerns following a recent raid by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit on the offices of the South African Football Association (SAFA) in Johannesburg.
The raid was conducted in connection with allegations of fraud and theft involving R1.3 million, which is allegedly linked to SAFA President Danny Jordaan.
In a statement released on Saturday, CAF, led by South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe, expressed its concern about the impact of the raid on the respect and image of football in South Africa.
CAF stated that it would be looking into the matter in accordance with the CAF and FIFA statutes and regulations. CAF has requested SAFA to provide a report demonstrating that neither SAFA nor President Jordaan violated any of these statutes and regulations.
The Hawks named Jordaan as the subject of their investigation regarding the alleged misuse of R1.3 million without the approval of the association. At the time of CAF’s statement, SAFA was holding a meeting at SAFA House, where the raid by the Hawks was expected to be discussed.
While the allegations made by the Hawks are serious, SAFA and Jordaan are presumed innocent until proven guilty by an appropriate judicial body, in line with international legal principles and jurisprudence. CAF has also requested additional information or facts from SAFA and Jordaan to be brought to its attention.
SAFA has threatened to sue the Hawks for naming Jordaan as the subject of their investigation. They argue that it is unethical and unlawful to mention someone’s name during an ongoing investigation.
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SAFA maintains that no money is missing from their organization and has instructed their attorneys to bring an urgent application to review and set aside the search and seizure. They have also filed a formal complaint with the oversight arbitrator of the Hawks.
During the raid, several items, including a laptop, external hard drives, a USB drive, and documents, were seized by the Hawks.
This incident raises concerns about the integrity of football in South Africa and the need for a thorough investigation to ensure transparency and accountability within the sport.
 expresses concern over the recent raid on the offices of the South African Football Association (SAFA) in Johannesburg. CAF is looking into the allegations of fraud and theft involving R1.3 million, allegedly linked to SAFA President Danny Jordaan.){kind=link}