Thoshan Panday's wife, mother named as co-accused in 2010 World Cup corruption case

• Businessman Thoshan Panday's mother, his wife, sister and her husband, as well as his assistant, have been named as co-accused in his corruption case.
• They face charges of fraud linked to the provision of accommodation and the purchase of goods for the police ahead of and during the 2010 World Cup.
• On Monday, they were indicted in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban. 

Several relatives of controversial Durban businessman Thoshan Panday - including his wife and mother - have been added as co-accused in his corruption, fraud and racketeering case relating to a police tender worth millions. 

Panday, co-accused former KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni, Colonel Navin Madhoe and Captain Ashwin Narainpershad were indicted in the Durban High Court on Monday. None of them were in court in accordance with a ruling that te High Court adjourn all matters to a holding date as part of Covid-19 safety. 

Their case was adjourned to 21 May.

The five new accused in the case are due to be formally charged at the Durban Regional Court on 7 May, said Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Sindi Twala. 

Madhoe and Narainpershad both worked in the police's supply chain management department.

The charge sheet now lists Panday's mother, Arvenda, his wife, Privisha, his sister, Kaja Ishwarkumar, her husband, Seevesh Maharaj Ishwarkumar, and Tasleen Rahima, Panday's assistant, as co-accused in the case.

The State alleged that more than a decade ago Panday, acting in concert with Madhoe and Narainpershad, allegedly set himself up as a middleman to secure accommodation for thousands of police officers deployed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Ngobeni and Panday face three counts of corruption related to bribes Panday allegedly paid to Ngobeni in exchange for her instructing former Hawks boss Johan Booysen to halt an investigation into a R47 million police accommodation fraud scheme.

The State alleged all accused acted in common purpose in committing the fraud and trying to prevent the investigation into the fraud.

Purpose

"The purpose of their association was to capture and manipulate the SCM system of SAPS: KZN through acts of fraud, corruption, forgery and defeating the administration of justice, to ensure that contacts would be awarded to entities associated with accused 4, and his family, for the supply of goods and services as well as accommodation to the SAPS KZN.

Thoshan Panday and Navin Madhoe in court during a previous appearance.

News24/file

"This conduct would lead to their personal financial benefit and or the financial benefit towards the group of individuals they associated with. As such, this association, constituted an enterprise as defined in section 1[1] of the act," read the indictment.