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Former top KZN cop to hand herself over to police on Monday to face multimillion-rand graft case

Suthentira Govender Senior reporter
A warrant of arrest has been issued for a former top KZN cop who failed to appear in the Durban magistrate's court on Friday in connection with charges of corruption.
A warrant of arrest has been issued for a former top KZN cop who failed to appear in the Durban magistrate's court on Friday in connection with charges of corruption.
Image: 123RF/ scanrail

A former top KwaZulu-Natal cop is expected to hand herself over to police on Monday after failing to appear in the Durban magistrate's court to face multimillion-rand corruption charges.

This comes after controversial businessman Toshan Panday and police colonel Navin Madhoe appeared in the Durban magistrate's court on Friday in connection with corruption relating to a R47m police tender.

The duo — released on R100,000 and R10,000 bail respectively — are accused of corruption linked to 2010 Fifa World Cup police tenders.

The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) investigative directorate executed four warrants of arrest, including one for the former top police officer.

She is “still at large” while the other suspect is understood to be in Cape Town.

NPA spokesperson Sipho Ngwema told SowetanLIVE sister publication TimesLIVE on Saturday: “There’s a warrant on both suspects and they are expected to hand themselves in on Monday at Durban Central police station.”

The NPA's investigative directorate spokesperson, Sindisiwe Twala, said in a statement on Friday that the case involving the four accused “is in connection with allegations of fraud and corruption relating to the KwaZulu-Natal police service's Fifa World Cup accommodation”. 

“It is alleged the accused defrauded the SA Police Service by hugely inflating prices of accommodation for police members during the Fifa World Cup in 2010.

“Further, there were subsequent attempts to bribe a police officer and these are a central component of the charges.

“It is alleged Panday was aided by SAPS procurement manager Col Navin Madhoe and another captain to score R47m in contracts from the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS.”

The case was enrolled almost a decade ago but, according to the NPA, “there have been hurdles because of interference and delaying tactics”.

“Just last month the High Court of SA: KwaZulu Division, Pietermaritzburg, dismissed Toshan’s application to review the former NDPP’s decision to reinstate the charges. Toshan wanted the NPA to drop the charges,” said Twala.

Head of the directorate advocate Hermione Cronje said: “This case is particularly important for the directorate as it turns the spotlight on how those in law enforcement entrusted with the responsibility to uphold the law were enlisted to obstruct justice.”

The matter will return to court on November 11.

TimesLIVE