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ANC MPs reject motion to summon SAFA president on FIFA corruption scandal

Xinhua, June 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

MPs of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday rejected a motion to summon Danny Jordaan, President of the South African Football Association (SAFA) and his predecessor Molefi Oliphant over the FIFA corruption scandal.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) tabled the motion to summon the two men to account to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports and Recreation on allegations that they bribed FIFA officials to win the bid for the 2010 World Cup.

There is no reason to summon Jordaan and Oliphant to parliament to explain the FIFA bribery scandal, the committee said after the motion was blocked by ANC MPs who are dominant in the committee.

The committee instead resolved to call Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, to provide answers on the biggest corruption scandal to rock the football world.

South Africa has been put under the spotlight in relation to one of the biggest international sport scandals in history.

So far, the main individuals implicated in the corruption scandal include Oliphant, former SAFA president, and Jordaan, current SAFA president.

Surely these individuals are best placed to shed light on the bribery allegations, the DA said after its motion was rejected. "Yet ANC members of the committee are adamant in denying them an opportunity to brief parliament," the party said.

The DA had requested the committee to summon the two men to Parliament as a matter of urgency to explain the controversial 10-million-US -dollar payment to the so-called Diaspora legacy programme.

ANC MPs insist that they cannot summon Jordaan, Oliphant and others because the sub judice rule is laughable.

Last week two letters directly implicating the two men emerged. The first was from Oliphant, dated 4 March 2008 instructing FIFA to redirect 10 million dollars. The second letter was written by Jordaan in December 2007 to FIFA authorising the payment to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

On Saturday, SAFA "categorically" denied that the 10 million dollars that were paid to the World Cup legacy projects was a bribe in return for a vote. Endi