On Monday, 17 April 2023, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) seized assets worth more than R165 million from Durban businessman Thoshan Panday, his ex-wife, former Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni and seven others.
Who is Thoshan Panday? – Here’s everything you must know
According to public prosecutors, the court order against Panday was granted on 29 March 2023 and is directly related to the criminal case, first enrolled by the NPA’s Investigative Directorate, against Colonel Navin Madhoe and eight others in the Durban Magistrates’ Court in October 2021.
The case has since been transferred to the High Court.
The nine suspects, including Panday and Ngobeni, are allegedly part of a criminal syndicate that scammed the South African Police Service (SAPS) out of over R47.3 million before and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted in the country.
They are accused of pilfering funds through acts of fraud, corruption, forgery, bribery, and money laundering.
The accused allegedly thwarted the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) by deliberately delaying the procurement of police accommodation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and ignoring invitations from existing service providers who charged reasonable rates.
As a result, the police were forced to secure accommodation on an urgent basis at inflated rates days before the event kicked off.
Panday is the sole member of Goldcoast Trading CC, which was awarded orders to provide accommodation for police members deployed within the KZN province during times of unrest from October 2009 at inflated rates.
Goldcoast was awarded 80% of the accommodation order for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and charged SAPS rates that were much higher than other service providers.
Panday also misrepresented that Goldcoast had secured block bookings in 2008 for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was false. Panday then had to place police members in venues, paid them a low rate, and claimed inflated rates from SAPS.
The restraint order has been granted against the property/assets of the nine charged and the persons or entities they ‘gifted’. The order of over R165 million is the amount of the proceeds of unlawful activities received by the enterprise and the individual parties in furtherance of the conspiracy and/or common purpose and/or the commissioning of the crimes.
The State alleges that Panday is the mastermind behind the criminal enterprise. The case is expected to return to court on 25 August 2023.