The defiant South African Football Association (Safa) bullied the Confederation of African Football (CAF) into retreating from its attempt to launch its own investigation regarding the Hawks’ raid at the football body’s headquarters in Joburg earlier this year.
In March, the Hawks executed a search and seizure warrant at the Safa House and confiscated laptops, hard-drives and USBs belonging to the association and the chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo.
Africa’s football-governing body then ordered Safa and its president, Danny Jordaan, to submit a report proving they both did not violate CAF and Fifa statutes.
It further said that it was looking into the matter based on and in accordance with the CAF and Fifa statutes and regulations.
It requested Safa to provide CAF with a report, indicating that Safa and Jordaan, at no stage and under no circumstances violated or breached the CAF and Fifa statutes and regulations.
CAF also said that while the allegations made by the Hawks were serious and in line with international legal principles and jurisprudence, Safa and Jordaan are presumed to be innocent until an appropriate judicial body concludes otherwise.
CAF also requested Safa to provide it with any other information or facts which the organisation and Jordaan would like to bring to its attention. It stated that its legal affairs committee will appoint an independent investigation committee to probe the Hawks’ raid.
But the obdurate Safa responded with a heated letter that forced CAF to retreat, and never touching the matter again. In the letter that Sunday World has seen, Safa questioned the authority of CAF, which is led by billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe, telling it in no uncertain terms that it had no right or jurisdiction to investigate it. “Having referred to the various applicable provisions in the CAF statutes, it is difficult to understand on which provisions of the CAF statutes the legal affairs committee relies to appoint the independent investigation committee, if indeed both the CAF general assembly and the CAF executive committee did not take the decision to appoint the independent investigation committee.
“We hasten to mention that we are fully aware that neither the CAF general assembly nor executive committee has taken any decision to appoint the independent investigation committee with the task of investigating Jordaan and Safa.”
In the letter, Safa asked for a meeting with CAF within seven days. “Safa is seeking an audience with you (CAF) within seven days from date of receipt of this letter to obtain absolute clarity on the contents of your aforesaid letter.”
But the meeting did not take place as CAF disappeared into thin air and has been, since then, as silent as the grave.
The Hawks raid will be an important element in the case that is going on at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court against Jordaan, Hluyo and Grit Communications director Trevor Neethling. The trio was arrested last week and released on R20 000 bail each. The three musketeers were charged with fraud and theft amounting to R1,3-million.
They were also charged with irregularly using the association’s funds.
