More arrests expected in 2010 Fifa World Cup corruption case

The four accused in the 2010 Fifa World Cup tender fraud case – among them controversial Durban businessman Thoshan Panday and former KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni – can expect company in the dock at their next court appearance.

The case briefly came before the Durban Regional Court on Monday, when it was postponed for more suspects to be nabbed.

“The matter was postponed to allow five other suspects to be arrested and joined in the matter,” said spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate Sindisiwe Twala.

All nine are expected to appear together in May.

Panday is alleged to have scored big from, amongst other deals, alleged dodgy tenders to provide local accommodation for police in the lead up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup, with Ngobeni and the other two current co-accused – former police officers Navin Madhoe and Aswin Narainpersad – allegedly greasing the wheels for him.

He allegedly plied Madhoe and Narainpersad with flights, hotel stays, exercise equipment and even a car to ensure a tranche of tenders – mainly to provide accommodation for police deployments in the run-up to and during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, but also for miscellaneous goods and services, such as water bottles and blankets – came his way.

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Panday and Madhoe have also been implicated in an alleged attempt to bribe former KZN Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation head Johan Booysen with R1.42 million in cash to make the initial investigation go away.

Ngobeni is alleged to have scooped a lavish birthday party for her husband Lucas, also a police officer, in exchange for her efforts to sink an initial probe.

It has taken more than 10 years to get these accused into the dock.

The cases against them were originally dropped before being reinstated in 2018.

It still took another two years to get them to court and their arrests last year came on the back of a failed bid by Panday to have the decision to reinstate the cases overturned.

They are facing hundreds of counts of racketeering, fraud, corruption, forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud.

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