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By Mervyn Naidoo 
15h ago
Durban – Politically connected businessman Thoshan Panday and his co-defendant Colonel Navin Madhoe, who were arrested again this week over the 2010 FIFA accommodation bidding scandal, wondered why Police Minister Bheki Cele was not among those arrested.
Both Panday and Madhoe appeared briefly in Durban Magistrates Court on Friday and were granted bail of R100,000 and R10,000, respectively, in respect of the multiple fraud and corruption-related charges they face.
Two more suspects linked to the affair were also due to be arrested on Friday, but police had not yet located them.
In an interview yesterday, Panday asked: “What about Minister Bheki Cele, why has he not been charged?”
Panday contends that it was Cele, the then SAPS National Commissioner, who signed the “approval” of the controversial contract awarded to his company, Goldcoast Trading CC, to provide room and board for the World Cup officers on duty.
Sindisiwe Twala, spokesperson for the National Tax Authority’s Directorate of Investigations (ID), said that while his department was running at full throttle, “we cannot rule out anyone at this stage.”
On the claim that Cele must also be held accountable, his spokesperson Lirandzu Themba denied that the minister was involved in signing the tender award, saying that KZN SAPS Supply Chain Management (SCM) took care of that.
While Madhoe was not one of KZN’s SCM bosses, he worked as a line manager in the department and his duty was related to obtaining quotes.
The State alleges that through the influence of Madhoe and another SAPS member, the processes were manipulated to favor Goldcoast’s offers, with the company acting as an intermediary between the establishments that provide accommodation services and the SAPS.
The fees charged for these services have been controversial since the State maintains that they were “exorbitant” and no other offers were received.
Madhoe allegedly received R80,000 in bribes for his participation.
In connection with the World Cup deals there are allegations that sundries such as jackets, torches and tents supplied by Goldcoast were overpriced.
Other fraud charges come from the Panday company providing “Operations Response Services”, including accommodation, when SAPS members, especially law enforcement teams, are called to emergency duty in various corners of KwaZulu -Native.
The accommodation and other services provided by Goldcoast are estimated to be worth R47 million.
Other charges stemmed from his alleged attempt to bribe Johan Booysens, the former head of KZN Hawks, with more than R1million in cash.
The State alleged that in 2012, when the accommodation tender payments were frozen due to the investigations, there were attempts to release money.
Moipone Noko, KZN’s deputy director of public prosecutions, stood firm in her decision not to prosecute Panday between 2014 and 2015.
However, in November 2017, Shaun Abrahams, the former National Director of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (NDPP) ruled that the Panday affair should be prosecuted.
In 2018, Panday launched an app to review Abraham’s decision.
That matter was settled last month by Judge Trevor Gorvan, who upheld Abrahams’ position.
Panday said its legal team had filed a notice of permission to appeal against Gorvan’s decision.
Therefore, he could not understand the recoil.
“I believed that there would be a suspension in the procedures according to the commitments made by the previous NDPP.”
Regardless, Panday is confident the courts will vindicate him.
“This matter has been lurking for the past 10 years, despite previous decisions not to prosecute me due to the irregular and questionable conduct of the SAPS.
“It includes illegal wiretapping of my phone conversations,” said Panday.
Madhoe also spoke confidently after the afternoon court proceedings. She said, “No, I’m not stressed. I’m just hungry and I’m tired. “
His lawyer, Ravindra Maniklall, added that the matter was old and had been investigated for many years.
“We are confident. This has come 10 years too late. We will plead not guilty to the charges.”
Maniklall said they hoped the matter would be final so Madhoe could be exonerated.
Earlier, State Prosecutor Talita Louw, who works in the Pretoria office of the Directorate of Investigations, told Magistrate Vanitha Armu that they did not object to bail, as the defendants had been previously arrested.
Twala confirmed that four arrest warrants had been issued in the matter and that the other two defendants had been searched.
“We have indicated through their various legal representatives and employers that they need to appear at the police stations to be formally charged.
“They will probably show up today or tomorrow to find favor with us and not be denied bail.”
Twala said his department was born in mid-2019 and due to their wide scope of work, which includes investigation, arrests, prosecution and also obtaining information from the Zondo Commission, they had a huge workload.
They received additional capacity in July.
“So we can’t rule out anyone at this stage.”
“However, the current indictment relates to the four people in court and various companies linked to this case. We cannot comment on the delays in terms of the case, as it only came up last year.
“Chief Identification Advocate Hermione Cronje said give me resources and I will give you cases and I will get strong indictments like cases that are in court, and then people will be prosecuted,” Twala repeated.
Booysen said he highlighted the nationwide effort to root out corruption. He singled out prosecutors Moipone Noko, Seal Maema and others as people who protected some and prosecuted others on bogus charges.
He asked that they be held accountable.
“Your continued presence in the NPA will undermine these moves to bring corrupt officials to the book.
Booysens said that he had recorded criminal investigations into the conduct of Noko, Maema, Abrahams and Marshal Mokgatle, which had been taken over by the ID.
“I am sure that the cases against him are very strong. I testified about his role in allowing the state’s capture.
“It was also my proof that as long as they remain in the NPA, the institution will continue to be captured.”
The matter was postponed until November.
Sunday grandstand
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