The Durban High Court has delayed the case involving businessman Thoshan Panday, along with eight other individuals, setting the new date for pre-trial to November 29.
Panday and the co-accused made their appearance in court earlier today.
While it was anticipated that Panday’s legal representatives would present an application urging the state to disclose more details regarding the case, this application will now be heard on October 23.
Panday and his co-accused – former KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni; South African Police Service (SAPS) Colonel Navin Madhoe and former police captain Aswin Narainpershad – face charges of racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Earlier this year, in April, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit secured a court order, restraining assets valued at R47.3 million.
This order targeted not only Panday, but also his spouse Privisha and the provincial commissioner.
The order was granted under Chapter 5 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA).
In 2021, Panday and his co-accused appeared in the Durban High Court for the resumption of their case.
The matter was deferred for the NPA to provide further information requested by the accused.
Panday has been identified as the sole member of Goldcast Trading CC which was awarded orders for accommodation for police members deployed within the KZN province during times of unrest in 2009 at inflated prices.
It is alleged that the company was awarded 80% of the accommodation contracts ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Goldcast, along with four other entities associated with Panday, allegedly received orders approved by Madhoe and Narainpershad for miscellaneous goods as required by the SAPS which were fraudulently approved through forgery.
The group is accused of swindling the SAPS out of more than R47 million through dubious tender processes. These tenders were specifically related to accommodations for KZN SAPS personnel during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Sindisiwe Seboka, the spokesperson for the NPA Investigating Directorate, confirmed these details in a press release.
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