Corruption-accused cop Navin Madhoe retires

Embattled police Colonel Navin Madhoe has called it a day as a cop, less than a week after he appeared alongside controversial businessman Thoshan Panday on corruption charges in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.

“I can confirm he retired yesterday,” was all police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker would say on Tuesday afternoon.

Panday and Madhoe were granted bail of R100,000 and R10,000 respectively for corruption-related charges after appearing in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday afternoon.

News24 reported that Madhoe appeared nonchalant last Friday when he appeared before the magistrate, Vanitha Armu.

They have been charged alongside former KZN police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni and Captain Ashwin Narianpershad.

State prosecutor Talita Louw said they were confident about prosecuting all of the former cops.

She said the state’s case was based on documentary evidence, which included information gathered from invoices and documents.

Based on this, she said they were confident they would sustain the charges.

Ravindra Maniklall, representing Madhoe, said previously his client would be pleading not guilty to any and all charges.

“These are old charges that have been in the public domain for 10 years. I am sure he wants to get it over and done with instead of it hanging over his head unnecessarily. We are hoping this matter can get to finality quickly, so he can get exonerated and put this behind him,” News24 reported him as saying.

Tender

Panday was accused of fraud and corruption relating to a 2010 FIFA World Cup tender.

Last month, the Pietermaritzburg High Court dismissed Panday’s application to review and set aside a decision by former National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams to prosecute him, Madhoe and Narainpershad.

It’s alleged that Panday and his co-accused defrauded SAPS relating to the temporary supply of accommodation for police officers during the FIFA World Cup.

The tender was worth R47 million.

Abrahams had, in 2016, overturned a decision by KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions Moipone Noko not to prosecute the Durban businessman and his co-accused for the fraud and corruption case.

Noko further declined to prosecute two other matters against Panday, which emanated from the original matter.

This included a case of interference against Ngobeni, who allegedly instructed former Kwazulu-Natal Hawks head, Major-General Johan Booysen, to abandon the investigation against Panday.

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