South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan, who helped organize Africa’s first-ever FIFA World Cup, has been arrested on fraud and theft charges.
Jordaan is accused of using approximately 1.3 million rand ($72,372) of South African Football Association (SAFA) funds to hire a public relations agency and a private security company for his personal gain.
Jordaan is the president of the association and led the country’s World Cup bid committee, which won the right to host one of South Africa’s biggest sporting events in 2010.
His arrest followed a raid by the country’s Special Investigation Unit on SAFA offices in March, “where an assortment of electronic gadgets and files were seized for further investigation, leading to arrest,” said police spokesperson Katlego Mogale.
According to police, Jordaan was arrested along with another official and a businessman. They are expected to appear in Palm Ridge court on Wednesday.
SAFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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