Danny Jordaan dismisses claims on FIFA corruption probe

African News Agency (ANA)

Danny Jordaan dismisses claims on FIFA corruption probe
Danny Jordaan. Photo: jacarandafm.com

Incumbent mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Danny Jordaan, on Wednesday dismissed claims that he had hired lawyers to defend him in the ongoing FIFA corruption probe, saying this formed part of a Wouter Basson-style dirty tricks campaign orchestrated by the rival Democratic Alliance (DA).

Jordaan was speaking to reporters on Wednesday after he had cast his vote at the Portuguese Club in Summerstrand in Port Elizabeth.

Jordaan, who is the Nelson Mandela Bay African National Congress (ANC) mayoral candidate, hopes to retain his seat after the local government elections on Wednesday.

On Monday, News24 reported that Jordaan had employed Sandton attorney Anthony Norton and senior advocate Gilbert Marcus to engage with authorities in the US.

The news site further claimed that his South African lawyers had enlisted the services of New York law firm Arnold & Porter to assist during the FBI probe.

Jordaan, who is president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), has consistently denied being involved in a $10 million bribery deal to secure the hosting of the 2010 tournament on South African soil.

He has previously admitted agreeing to a $10m payment to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) for its so-called African Diaspora Legacy Fund, but has steadfastly maintained this was never a bribe.

On Wednesday he claimed that it was the DA who had come up with an “apartheid style strategy”, carried out by journalists who were campaigning for the opposition.

However, he did not directly answer the question whether he had in fact engaged top lawyers to act on his behalf

“The journalists of our country, they are indicted, because while journalists have the right to criticise political parties, they must never join the campaign of political parties,” he said.

“It is sad. What is the charge against me? There is nothing and this is not the democracy we want, this reminds me of the Wouter Basson dirty tricks campaign. We talk about a free and fair election, but then a desperate alliance embark on an apartheid-style Wouter Basson dirty tactics, it will backfire on them,” said Jordaan.

Basson was the head of apartheid South Africa’s secret chemical and biological warfare project.

Meanwhile, DA mayoral candidate Athol Trollip told the African News Agency (ANA) he felt it was “paranoid” of Jordaan to blame the DA for the report.

He said to label it “apartheid-style Wouter Basson tactics” was typical of the ANC, because wherever they “failed” they always seemed to use a “scapegoat and shift the blame” onto the DA.

“I read it on News24, we didn’t manipulate it, we can’t manipulate the press. You are a member of the press, it’s difficult enough to get good stories out of the press and the press have got to tell the truth. So if Danny Jordaan is making allegations he should make them against Media24.”

Trollip slammed Jordaan and said he had had more than a year “to come on record” about his role in the ongoing FIFA bribery allegations but had rather chosen not to.

“Until he does come out, the speculation will continue, the media will continue writing stories about it. He is the only person that can make this go away, but he won’t, he refuses to. And why doesn’t he travel abroad anymore? So the speculation will continue because Danny Jordaan just won’t come on record about it. That’s his problem, not the DA’s problem,” said Trollip.

South Africa Today – South Africa News
South-Africa-Today

SOURCEAfrican News Agency (ANA)