Former SAFA CEO Paul added to Jordaan theft case

November 5, 2025 31

Former acting CEO of the South African Football Association, Russell Paul, has been granted R10 000 bail by the Palm Ridge Special Commercial Crime Court after he handed himself over to the Hawks on Wednesday morning.

His arrest forms part of the ongoing investigation into alleged theft and financial misconduct within SAFA – a probe that has already implicated senior officials, including SAFA President Danny Jordaan and SAFA CFO Gronie Hluyo.

According to NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, Paul faces charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

“The National Prosecuting Authority has added an additional accused, Russell Patrick Paul, the former acting CEO of Safa, in the case against Danny Jordaan and three others,” Mjonondwane said.

“It is alleged that Paul conspired with the other four accused to commit fraud and theft by authorising payments to accused four [Grit Communications] for personal services rendered to Jordaan during Paul’s tenure as Safa acting CEO.”

The NPA says Paul allegedly approved payments to the accused using Safa’s funds, despite there being no contractual basis for such payments between Safa and the service provider.

Mjonondwane added that because Paul had cooperated with the authorities after being told that he would be arrested and had continued to help the investigating officer throughout the investigation, the state had not objected to his bail request.

Paul will return to court on November 21 to join the four other accused in the main case.

Jordaan, Hluyo, businessman Trevor Neethling, and Neethling’s company, Grit Communications, face three counts of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.

The charges relate to alleged financial resource fraud at SAFA amounting to R1.3 million, said to have occurred between 2014 and 2018.

All the accused have been released on R20 000 bail each.

#sapsHAWKS [COURT UPDATE] The case against Russell Patrick Paul (64) has been postponed to 21 November 2025. He was granted R10 000 bail. MEhttps://t.co/VA4E3s17dS https://t.co/7AiPrYcGUp pic.twitter.com/XkbCCbi4yl

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 5, 2025