By Andrew Warshaw
March 22 – Pressure is mounting on Danny Jordaan, the public face of the 2010 South Africa World Cup and head of his country’s FA, to explain how much he knew about FIFA’s belief that bribes were paid to secure the tournament.
Jordaan led South Africa’s successful bid but was conspicuous by his absence at the FIFA Congress in Zurich last month that elected a new president, citing a busy schedule in his duties as mayor of the South African coastal city of Port Elizabeth.
It was the latest in a number of FIFA meetings he has failed to attend, fuelling speculation that he has something to hide.
Jordaan also headed his country’s failed 2006 bid and a magazine report in Germany alleged he stayed away from Zurich for fear of possible arrest as part of the investigation into the $10 million that ended up in the hands of notorious former FIFA powerbroker Jack Warner, a payment FIFA says was a bribe but which South African authorities counter was completely above board.
Insideworldfootball understands that despite FIFA’s stance over the suspect $10 million, revealed as part of its Restitution Request for “tens of millions of dollars” filed with the US authorities last week, no investigation has yet been opened into Jordaan’s conduct by FIFA ethics officials.
Earlier this week, South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula defended Jordaan’s decision not to travel to Switzerland to head his federation’s delegation at the presidential election. “I’m not a spokesperson for Danny Jordaan but what he would have said to you is fact, in terms of his commitments of not going,” Mbalula told reporters .
“I’m aware that Danny Jordaan has been travelling all over the world, including attending his obligations so if he were to be arrested, he would have been arrested anywhere because there is Interpol.”
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