Sam, the President of South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), has claimed that a forensic audit and disciplinary process should not be rushed.

Last year, Ray Mali took over as interim administrator to clean up the federation after the ASA’s board and top management were suspended.

Mali had hoped to start the disciplinary hearings against the eight remaining board members, including Chuene, and three staff members by the middle of last month.

But the process has now been postponed as the ASA's legal representatives continue to collect evidence against the suspended figures.

Mali said: "Our lawyers believe we will have everything in place to conduct the hearings by the end of April, but we must also give the suspended people sufficient notice so their legal representatives can prepare properly before they face these hearings.

"Only once this process has been completed can we democratically elect a new board.

"The IAAF (international Association of Athletics Federations) are satisfied with the progress we have made thus far and will come back to us for an update at the end of August."

Mali, a board member of the South SASCOC, was sent in to clean up the federation in November last year after the entire executive and three staff members were suspended for financial mismanagement and their handling of the gender scandal involving world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya.

The three staff members - ASA general manager Molatelo Malehopo, events and marketing manager Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane and Chuene's personal assistant Humile Bogatsu - have all been suspended with full pay for the last five months while the interim board struggles to recover from the financial mess created by Chuene and his executive.

Mali said they hoped a forensic audit, ordered after shredded documents and deleted computer files were discovered at the ASA head office in Houghton, would be completed by the end of this month.

It has also since emerged that Chuene and three other senior officials allegedly bought cars for one rand (£0.91/$1.38) each from ASA.

Sam is not setting any strict deadlines and said the forensic audit that was commissioned earlier this year is progressing well.

He said: "Mid-April we should get the preliminary report which will give us an indication of how far we have to go in terms of finalising the programme."


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