Judgment reserved in Thoshan Panday’s bid to have World Cup corruption case dismissed

Judgment reserved in Thoshan Panday’s bid to have World Cup corruption case dismissed. News South Africa Kwazulu NatalJudgment reserved in Thoshan Panday’s bid to have World Cup corruption case dismissedZainul Dawood|Published 12 hours agoAsk AI 4minThoshan Panday and his co-accused applied to have the criminal case against them struck off the roll over delays was heard in the Durban High Court on Friday.

What happened

Image: S'bonelo NgcoboJudgment has been reserved in Thoshan Panday’s application to have the criminal case against him and his co-accused dismissed over alleged unreasonable delays in the Durban High Court on Friday. Image: Picture: Supplied Judgment has been reserved in the application by Durban businessman Thoshan Panday and his co-accused to have the criminal case against them dismissed. News Crime and CourtsThoshan Panday's case hangs in the balance as court reserves judgmentZainul Dawood|Published 14 hours agoAsk AI 1minIOL Thoshan Panday and his co-accused await judgment on their bid to have the long-running criminal case dismissed over delays.

IOL News IOL Thoshan Panday and his co-accused await judgment on their bid to have the long-running criminal case dismissed over delays. She said they were also willing to give the defence the recording with conditions. [email protected]IOLAsk AIRelated Topics:crime and courtthoshan panday2010 world cupcorrupt policecorruption allegationsaccomodation controversyhigh courtSaturday, September 19, 2026NewsCrime and CourtsSouth AfricaAfricaWorldBRICSEducationEnergyEnvironmentFeel GoodGovernment at WorkOpinionPoliticsOpinionOpinionNewsPoliticsEntertainmentLifestyleTechSportBusinessJobsEconomyPropertyWindow on ChinaHybrid WorkingEntertainmentCelebrity NewsStreamingMoviesMusicBooksWhats OnJoburgDurbanCape TownPretoriaOpinionLifestyleHealthBeautyFashionFoodRelationshipsParentingCompetitionsOpinionTravelLocalInternationalTechSoftware and InternetEsportsOpinionSportSoccerPSLRugbyCricketMMABettingOpinionHorse RacingMotoringReviewsLaunchesIndustry NewsMotorsport 2010 World Cup procurementPanday is among nine accused appearing in the Durban High Court on fraud and corruption charges about the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

State says it is ready for trialTalita Louw, Senior State Advocate with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), dismissed allegations that the state was not ready for the case to go on trial.

The wider picture

Panday is facing charges including racketeering, fraud, corruption, and money laundering in connection with a rigged police accommodation tender during the 2010 FIFA World CupHis counsel wanted the matter struck off the roll on the grounds of unreasonable delay, calling for a judicial intervention. Durban businessman Thoshan Panday and eight co-accused say prolonged delays in receiving prosecution material have prejudiced their defence. The State disputes this, saying it has been ready for trial and has offered controlled access to sensitive information.

Panday filed court papers calling for judicial intervention and for the case to be dropped. Image: Picture: Supplied Ask AIRelated Topics:corruptionSaturday, September 19, 2026NewsCrime and CourtsSouth AfricaAfricaWorldBRICSEducationEnergyEnvironmentFeel GoodGovernment at WorkOpinionPoliticsOpinionOpinionNewsPoliticsEntertainmentLifestyleTechSportBusinessJobsEconomyPropertyWindow on ChinaHybrid WorkingEntertainmentCelebrity NewsStreamingMoviesMusicBooksWhats OnJoburgDurbanCape TownPretoriaOpinionLifestyleHealthBeautyFashionFoodRelationshipsParentingCompetitionsOpinionTravelLocalInternationalTechSoftware and InternetEsportsOpinionSportSoccerPSLRugbyCricketMMABettingOpinionHorse RacingMotoringReviewsLaunchesIndustry NewsMotorsport They face racketeering offences, including fraud, corruption, money laundering and forgery, allegedly committed between March 2009 and April 2010. The other accused are Panday’s mother, Arevenda Panday, his wife Privisha Panday, his sister Kajal Ishwarkumar, and his brother-in-law, Seveesh Maharaj Ishwarkumar, as well as Panday’s personal assistant, Tasleem Rahiman.

“The defence case is therefore not based simply upon the passage of time. Panday was arrested in October 2020, and the matter has therefore been pending without the trial having commenced.

What has been reported

The application before the High Court has been brought in terms of section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act. This empowers a court to investigate delays in criminal proceedings and determine whether they have become unreasonable. The state alleges that he was effectively in control of several entities which had received payments from the South African Police Services (SAPS) amounting to approximately R47 million, owing to a corrupt relationship formed with members of the Supply Chain Management Division of the SAPS.

Defence challenges disclosure delaysThe accused include former provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonye Ngobeni, former SAPS Colonel Navin Madhoe, and former SAPS Captain Ashwin Narainpershad. The defence was represented by three senior counsel: Advocates Mike Hellens, Jay Naidoo and Jimmy Howse, and Attorney Ravindra Maniklall. The central issue raised by the defence is the prolonged and, in its submission, unreasonable delay associated with the State’s disclosure of information and material required to prepare the defence properly.

“The defence first formally sought further information in April 2021. Over the years that followed, a series of further requests were made, and the matter was repeatedly adjourned in an attempt to resolve the outstanding disclosure issues,” the court document states.

What happens next

“Ultimately, the accused approached the High Court for an order compelling the State to provide the outstanding information. That application succeeded, and in June 2024 the High Court ordered the State to provide the information identified in the order within 21 days. ”Defence sought leave to appealThe document claims that the State thereafter sought leave to appeal aspects of that order. Importantly, the defence contends that certain material which the State itself accepted the accused were entitled to receive fell outside the ambit of the appeal and nevertheless remained outstanding.

It is based upon the history of the proceedings, the repeated attempts by the accused to obtain disclosure, the orders made by the court, the subsequent appeal process and the continuing effect of the outstanding disclosure on the accused’s ability to prepare for trial,” the document states. The accused contend that material central to the preparation of their defence remains outstanding, thereby directly affecting their ability to prepare properly for trial. “The relief sought is an order in terms of section 342A(3)(c) striking the criminal proceedings from the roll and directing that the prosecution may not be resumed or instituted afresh without the written instruction of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” the document states.

She said the state has been ready since day one to proceed.

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across iol.co.za. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.