South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has been cleared of theft charges, but his legal troubles are far from over.
The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court withdrew three theft charges against Jordaan and Safa CFO Gronie Hluyo on Friday.
However, both men, along with businessman Trevor Neethling, still face charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane explained that the decision to drop the theft charges was based on new information.
“Once information becomes available … that changes the complexion of the case, as the state and in terms of the law, we can still alter the charge sheet, depending on the information available, or remove charges as we have done,” she said.
Mjonondwane dismissed the notion that the NPA had acted hastily in charging Jordaan and his co-accused.
“The state had to conduct further investigations emanating from the information that was provided by [Neethling] in his representations, which is a normal course in criminal proceedings,” she explained.
Despite the withdrawal of some charges, Jordaan, Hluyo, and Neethling must return to court on August 15.
If Neethling successfully avoids prosecution, the matter may be revisited earlier.
“When we have to withdraw charges as the state, we will not hesitate to do so because we are not in the business of persecuting people,” Mjonondwane emphasized.
