Cape Town - In a week of drama at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture that saw former tax boss Tom Moyane lose his application to cross-examine Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, the prosecuting authority is still pursuing a well-known businessman.
The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed on Saturday it was still waiting for a review application by Thoshan Panday to be heard in the High Court.
This was after Panday had challenged a decision by the former head of the NPA Shaun Abrahams to charge him over alleged corruption a few years ago.
The Hawks also said on Saturday it was ready to deal with any matter arising out of the evidence led in the Zondo Commission.
Spokesperson for the Hawks Hangwani Mulaudzi said there was a team from the unit, the NPA and Special Investigating Unit following up on the matters being heard in the Zondo Commission.
Former head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal Johan Booysen told the commission how he had probed Panday over the alleged bribe relating to the 2010 Soccer World Cup for police accommodation. Another senior police officer was arrested for allegedly trying to bribe him.
Mulaudzi said the team sitting in the Zondo Commission would decide on how to proceed with matters being heard. But the NPA said Abrahams had reinstated charges against Panday after they were initially dropped in 2014 by KZN prosecutions head Moipone Noko. This was also the evidence led by Booysen that two weeks after her appointment, Noko had dropped the charges against Panday.
Panday is now in court to challenge the decision of then NPA boss Abrahams to reinstate the charges.
Mulaudzi said the officials from the NPA, Hawks and SIU were on top of the matters in the Zondo Commission.
“Remember, the team is sitting at the commission, and whatever information being given, they will advise the head of the Hawks (Godfrey Lebeya) and the National Director of Public Prosecutions (Shamila Batohi). It’s a three-fold team that includes the SIU,” said Muladzi.
He said that chief prosecutor from Pretoria, Matric Luphondo, who was given a watching brief by Batohi at the Zondo Commission, was giving guidance on these matters. The NPA has to follow due processes.
Early in the week, former South African Revenue Service boss Moyane lost his application to cross-examine Gordhan.
The commission is going to resume its business next month when Booysen is going to continue giving evidence.
Former head of the police watchdog Robert McBride and Booysen have implicated more than 100 people in their evidence.