Orlando Pirates Football Club has launched an urgent court bid to freeze more than R20 million allegedly siphoned from its coffers by former finance manager Darryl Joselowsky. The club filed papers at the Johannesburg High Court on September 22, seeking to preserve R20.2 million held in four Standard Bank accounts linked to Joselowsky.
The application was brought by Orlando Pirates Football Club, Orlando Pirates Retailing, and Orlando Pirates Properties against Joselowsky and the bank. It was filed without prior notice to the former employee, with the club arguing that advance warning could risk the funds being dissipated. On Sunday, the club confirmed the court application, stressing it should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing. The legal action comes as the team enjoys strong on-field form, sitting second in the Premier Soccer League with 19 points from seven games and preparing for the MTN8 final.
How the alleged fraud unfolded
An internal investigation, triggered in July when cash proceeds did not match expected sales, uncovered hundreds of suspicious transactions. Commercial manager Mpumelelo Khoza stated in an affidavit that Joselowsky had been employed by the club for more than 30 years and was in a position of 'extreme personal and fiduciary trust'. "As finance manager, [Joselowsky] had complete responsibility for managing the bank accounts, payroll, supplier disbursements and financial ledgers," Khoza said.
His role allowed him to load beneficiary details, alter payment descriptions, and execute electronic transfers without secondary authorisation. Standard Bank later warned the club its monitoring systems had flagged payments as potentially fraudulent. The club instructed forensic accountant Alida Louise Jordaan to analyse transaction data from 2016 to 2026. Her independent analysis identified R20.2 million in payments considered unauthorised diversions into accounts controlled by Joselowsky.
Broader logs showed R43 million moving from the club’s accounts into the four flagged accounts between September 2016 and August this year. Payments were disguised with descriptions matching legitimate business expenses. A schedule prepared by Jordaan identified 742 separate payments totalling R8.5 million where descriptions allegedly falsely named beneficiaries. Khoza also pointed to Joselowsky’s recent acquisition of Austrian citizenship and frequent overseas travel in the past year.
Club seeks recovery and transparency
Pirates is seeking a court order to prevent Standard Bank from permitting withdrawals from the four accounts unless a combined balance of at least R20.2 million remains. The club also wants the bank to provide full electronic and physical statements to trace the funds. Orlando Pirates intends to pursue the recovery of the R20.2 million, together with interest and legal costs. The club said its day-to-day operations and commitments, including the upcoming fixtures, would continue as normal.
The team's focus remains on the pitch, where they are one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns with a goal difference of +15. Their next match is at home against TS Galaxy on October 18. The club's application to preserve the funds is aimed at preventing any further dissipation while the transactions are investigated.
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