Corruption accused Ngobeni plans to plead not guilty

Corruption accused Ngobeni plans to plead not guilty

KZN's former police chief, Mmamonnye Ngobeni will be back in court next month to join businessman Thoshan Panday and two senior police officers in the dock.

Mmamonnye Ngobeni in court
Nushera Soodyal

Ngobeni, Panday, Navin Madhoe and Ashwin Narainpershad are accused of fraud and corruption relating to a multi-million rand 2010 World Cup police accommodation tender.


Panday and Madhoe were arrested on Friday and appeared in court on the same day. They were released on bail.


Ngobeni and Narainpershad handed themselves over on Monday morning. The pair briefly appeared in the Durban  Magistrate's Court this afternoon. 


NPA Investigating Directorate, Advocate Talita Louw told the court Ngobeni received around R26 000 from Panday for her husband's birthday party.


Ngobeni is also facing a charge of defeating the ends of justice for not reporting the alleged fraud and instructing officials to stop investigating the matter. 


READ: OUTA calls on municipalities to scrutinise PPE expenditure


Louw asked for bail to be set at R40 000 saying Ngobeni was not just any police officer - but headed the police service in KZN. 


Ngobeni's attorney, Ravindra Maniklal - in arguing for bail to be set R10 000 - told the court there was an agreement made on Friday with an investigating officer for that bail amount. 


Maniklal told the court that Ngobeni intends pleading not guilty to the charges - and is confident that she will be exonerate. 


Magistrate Vanitha Armu granted Ngobeni bail of R20 000.


The court heard that Narainpershad had not directly benefitted from the tender - but that money that Panday's business received was used to bribe him.


It's alleged that Panday and Narainpershad approached the supply change manager and asked that he falsify certain documentation for R15 million that was frozen. 


Panday allegedly paid Narainpershad around R60 000.

New Newswatch podcast banner yellow

Show's Stories