INLSA
Police officer Aswin Narainpershad, right, at court with his attorney, Azgar Khan, yesterday.
After spending a night in Westville prison, police Captain Aswin Narainpershad, who was charged with corruption, conspiracy and incitement to commit fraud, looked relieved when he was granted bail in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Narainpershad, 44, a supply-chain management officer, was charged along with uMhlanga businessman Thoshan Panday, 40, of attempting to bribe a police officer and of fraud involving R20 million.
The two are charged with corruption for allegedly offering R1m in cash to Captain Kevin Stephen for his help in generating false invoices for submission to the police service.
The State accused Panday and Narainpershad of conspiracy to commit fraud between December 2011 and March this year, and incitement to commit fraud for hiring Stephen to carry out the crime.
Prosecutor Krishen Shah said the State was not opposed to Narainpershad being released on bail.
In a statement read out by his attorney, Azgar Khan, Narainpershad said he had been employed with the police service for the past 25 years.
He said he would plead not guilty to the charges against him and would reveal the details of his defence at his trial. He undertook not to interfere with witnesses or evade his trial.
Khan said his client was a good candidate for bail as he was not a flight risk and had strong ties to Durban. Narainpershad would also abide by the bail conditions set.
Magistrate Lincoln Matjele granted Narainpershad bail of R20 000 and set conditions, including that he report every Wednesday at the Durban Central police station, surrender his passport to the police and not interfere with State witnesses. He was warned not to leave the district of Durban or change his residential address without informing the investigating officer.
Meanwhile, Panday who is in hospital under police guard, would apply for bail next week. When he appeared in court on Wednesday, his advocate, Joe Wolmarans, said he needed to see a cardiologist.
Panday faces another corruption charge, along with supply-chain management officer Navin Madhoe, for an alleged attempt to bribe Hawks provincial head Major-General Johan Booysen. He was also being investigated in connection with a R60m police accommodation tender scam.
