Thoshan Panday in court for bail application
The Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday heard arguments on whether
Durban businessman Thoshan Panday would evade his corruption and fraud matters
if granted bail in a new case
Panday was arrested last week for alleged tax evasion.
He and eight others are already facing corruption charges related to a R47 million 2010 World Cup tender.
In opposing bail, state prosecutor Talita Louw argued that Panday had already been dishonest with the court by contravening his bail conditions in his corruption matter.
The court has heard he applied to travel to Europe and the UAE in December 2022 on holiday and was given his passport back
Louw told the court the investigating team later discovered that Panday instead travelled to the US, using a second passport he had claimed had been missing.
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Panday's trip is said to have cost R2,1 million, and was also apparently paid for by a business with ties to his former personal assistant and corruption co-accused, Tasleem Rahman.
Panday's lawyer, Advocate Jimmy Howse has argued that his client has left the country multiple times while on bail and has returned every single time.
Howse added Panday has attended every court date in his corruption matter and should therefore not be punished for not sticking to the bail conditions.
The hearing continues.
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