Thoshan Panday
20 December 2020
The high-profile corruption case involving Durban businessman Thoshan Panday, former KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni and former cops Ashwin Narainpershad and Navin Madhoe will go to trial in 2021.The regional court transferred this decade old case to high court on Thursday(17 December 2020).
Narainpershad was not in court as his son was said to have contracted Covid-19 and he was in self isolation.
Five other people were indicted but their names were not disclosed.
Charges relate to a highly inflated $3.2 million contract to provide accommodation to police officers during 2010 Fifa World Cup. Tender was made with with the help of Colonel Navin Madhoe who was procurement manager at South African Police Service(SAPS) and another captain. Madhoe has since resigned. Subsequently also there were attempts to bribe police.
Ngobeni was charged with defeating the ends of justice as she ordered investigators to stop their investigation into tender fraud while it was her duty to report fraud and criminal activity. Panday is alleged to have forked out $1,770 for Ngobeni’s husband’s birthday party held at the Royal Palm Hotel in Umhlanga Rocks in 2010.
These were detailed by PricewaterhouseCoopers auditor Trevor White, who testified at the inquiry. White compiled a 400-page forensic report detailing how Panday benefited from contracts awarded to his companies for the tournament.
Panday along with Madhoe tried to offer then Hawks head in the province Johan Booysen a $136,000 bribe to subvert the investigation against Panday and Madhoe.
Panday was released on $6,800 bail, Madhoe and Narainpershad on $680 while Ngobeni was granted $1,360 bail.
Accused are expected in the Durban High Court on February 8.
iol.co.za reported.
