Durban businessman Thoshan Panday is recovering in a private hospital in Durban following reports of him suffering ill-health.
The 52-year-old was arrested on September 5,2024 on tax fraud allegations and subsequently denied bail a few days later.
Panday was due to appear in the Durban Magistrates Court on Wednesday, September 25, 2025.
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption's Henry Mamothame said the matter was postponed in Panday’s absence to October 4, 2024.
Mamothame said an inquiry would be conducted into Panday’s absence in court, as the head of Westville prison did not inform the court that Panday would not be attending court.
“Despite a medical certificate being produced by his legal representative and handed in to the record indicating that Panday is admitted in a private hospital in Durban, Magistrate Mr S Zuma deemed it befitting for the head of prison and the admitting doctor where he is allegedly kept for medical attention to be subpoenaed to account for his absence and for not informing the court and the state.”
The matter was set to be transferred to the Durban High Court.
“The state requested for a further detention warrant to be issued to extend his detention in his absence,” said Mamothame.
Panday is facing 27 counts of fraud, alternatively contraventions of tax legislation which outlines false returns in respect of VAT and Annual Income Tax in which the South African Revenue Services was allegedly prejudiced an amount of R7,3 million.
Panday was denied bail on the grounds that he is a flight risk and had interfered with witnesses.
IOL News