The case against 9 suspects accused in the R47 million Soccer World Cup fraud and corruption case set for pretrial

15 April 2024

The Durban High Court has postponed the case against nine (9) suspects facing charges relating to the R47 million Soccer World Cup fraud and corruption charges, to 25 July 2024 for pre-trial conferencing.

The accused, including former KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, General Mmamonnye Ngobeni; Colonel Navin Madhoe, former police captain Aswin Narainpershad and businessman, Toshan Panday face 275 counts of racketeering offences and fraud, corruption, money laundering and forgery allegedly committed between March 2009 and April 2010, wherein the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) were allegedly ignored in procuring accommodation for members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

The other accused are Panday's mother, Arevenda Panday; his wife, Privisha Panday; his sister, Kajal Ishwarkumar; Panday's brother-in-law, Seveesh Maharaj Ishwarkumar and Toshan Panday's personal assistant, Tasleem Rahiman.

The state alleges Panday’s family of being party to a common purpose with Toshan and others to defraud SAPS, through their association with entities which were used to score lucrative contracts from SAPS. The policemen who are accused in this matter face accusations of colluding with Panday to receive contracts from the KZN police for an amount of over R47,3 million in fraudulent and irregular tender procedures.

The five (5) entities related and/or controlled by Panday were paid the total of R47 346 597.52 by SAPS (and it includes, Goldcoast R39 336 283, Valotone R3 515 704, Bravosat R2 079 469, Kaseev Traders R1 552 019 and Unite Mzansi R863 122).

Judgment on an application for disclosure of certain information is still reserved for a date that will be provided by the court. The state has strongly argued against this application.

Issued by Henry Mamothame, Investigating Directorate Spokesperson, 15 April 2024