Durban - Durban businessman Thoshan Panday says he welcomes the National Prosecuting Authority's decision to reinstate corruption charges against him, as it will allow "justice to be served, once and for all".
On Friday NPA boss Advocate Shaun Abrahams announced that he had decided to institute the criminal prosecution of Panday and police officer Colonel Navin Madhoe.
The corruption charges relate to an alleged attempt by Madhoe and Panday to bribe suspended KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Johan Booysen.
According to the NPA, this was to "backdate a report relating to the investigation about irregular procurement processes in respect of accommodation during the 2010 World Cup".
The NPA had previously withdrawn charges against the pair, in the "interest of justice".
Speaking to News24, Panday described the pronouncement by Abrahams as "phenomenal".
Prosecution 'driven by the media'
"It would allow our courts to hear the truth of the matter and to allow justice to be served once and for all. I am quite confident that the State has no case against me," he said.
"It is a charge that the State is grappling with. If the State had any tangible evidence, this announcement would have come sooner than two years after my legal counsel has submitted representations to the office of the NDPP [National Director of Public Prosecutions."
Panday said that his prosecution had been driven by the media.
"I have been subjected to a trial by the media. Our NDPP is bowing in the face of media pressure to gain political points. It is about time that our trusted judiciary test the evidence of the State which must be proved beyond reasonable doubt," he said.
"There must already be doubt if the State is deciding to proceed more than six years later after the charges had come about. I have the protection of all rights afforded to any citizen of this country. I am therefore innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt."
