Top cops derailed Panday probe

Hawks man says SAPS commissioner ordered case withdrawn

RETIRED Hawks investigator Johannes van Loggerenberg recounted how his probe into dodgy dealings between controversial Durban businessman Thoshan Panday and senior KwaZulu-Natal police officers was frustrated for years while they enjoyed the protection of top cops in the province.

Van Loggerenberg took the stand at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture yesterday, when he shed light on investigations of corruption linked to Panday and senior SAPS supply chain management in relation to contracts involving the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The contracts in question were for the accommodation of police officers during the tournament.

He maintained that he and his team of investigators resorted to secretly forging ahead with the probe after they were instructed by former SAPS KZN commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni to halt the probe, despite the fact that she was one of the suspects in the case.

The commission previously heard how Panday forked out R30 000 for a birthday bash held for Ngobeni’s husband.

Van Loggerenberg underscored that his team defied Ngobeni’s instructions for the investigation into Panday to be withdrawn.

“We continued with the investigation after it became known by the commissioner we had not stopped.”

He explained that their determination to go ahead was strengthened by the fact that former Hawks national boss Anwa Dramat had confirmed that Ngobeni had no authority to instruct investigators to follow her instructions.

He also told the commission how Panday flooded many of his personal companies into the SAPS database with the help of “corrupt cops” in a bid to maximise his chances of clinching tenders.

It was also discovered that Panday was charging the SAPS more than 200% above the normal price for some services rendered by his companies.

Van Loggerenberg said a search and seizure operation was conducted at Panday’s offices.

“We came across a black book which had his company names with columns and the tenders the companies got.

“He would write the actual price of the tender and then write his price. He kept the record of that,” Van Loggerenberg said.

Van Loggerenberg also testified he had learnt through an affidavit compiled by a Pinetown businessman who supplied generators to Panday’s companies for the Fifa World Cup that he (Panday) had massively inflated their price when he charged the SAPS.

“It was small generators, not big generators.

“The price he paid for each generator was R4 900. I took an affidavit of that company and followed up on what he told the police. He cost police between R92 000 and R97 000 for the same generators for one generator.

“That was signed by supply chain management and he got paid for that,” he said.

The commission resumes today.