[ad_1]
- The NPA has said that former KZN police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni is on the run.
- She was to be arrested on Friday and appear in court in connection with a police tender.
- Two of his co-defendants are out on bail.
Former KwaZulu-Natal Senior Police Officer Mmamonnye Ngobeni, who was due to appear before the Durban Magistrates Court on Friday on corruption charges, is on the air and is being wanted by authorities.
This follows the attack on controversial KZN businessman Thoshan Panday and the head of the police supply chain management unit, Colonel Navin Madhoe, on Friday.
Ngobeni, who is to be charged along with the couple, is now considered “at liberty” by the Investigation Directorate (ID) of the National Tax Authority.
READ | Thoshan Panday and co-defendants face 261 charges of corruption and fraud
Another defendant, Aswin Narainpershad, also could not be located.
Ngobeni and Panday face three corruption charges related to bribes that Panday allegedly paid Ngobeni in exchange for his directing former Hawks Major General Johan Booysen to stop an investigation into a R47 million police accommodation fraud scheme. .
Sindisiwe Twala of ID said they were looking for Ngobeni.
“She turned off her phone and as such we were unable to arrest her. She is at large,” he added, saying that Ngobeni should turn himself in.
Bail
Both Panday and Madhoe were released on bail after a brief appearance, the former having to pay 100,000 rand and the latter 10,000 rand.
This comes more than a decade after Panday, allegedly performing in concert with Madhoe and Narainpershad, allegedly established itself as an intermediary to secure accommodation for thousands of police officers deployed for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
ROLLING COVER | Former KZN Police Chief Arrested As Law Enforcement Cracks Down On Corruption
The millions that allegedly entered his bank accounts, and those controlled by his network of companies, sounded the alarms at police headquarters, and then an investigation was launched to investigate the surprising spike in spending.
Investigating officers allegedly uncovered what they believed were ties to the province’s highest official, and Panday paid for Ngobeni’s husband’s surprise birthday party, all while she knew he was under suspicion.
A forensic audit by PwC, commissioned by the police, uncovered evidence of Panday’s quid pro quo: it allegedly obtained millions in contracts while allegedly showering Ngobeni, Madhoe and Narainpershad with gifts. Twala added that Narainpershad was also actively sought.
Repeated efforts to contact Ngobeni, as well as her husband Lucas, were unsuccessful at press time.
