Nando’s chicken, cash and diamonds: How Roseanne Narandas bribed top official to keep son safe at Westville prison
|Published
A picture of Rajiv Narandas Rajiv Narandas is serving a prison sentence for murder. His mom claims that she had to give a senior prison official money, food and gifts to ensure Rajiv’s safety in prison.
The Department of Correctional Services is investigating allegations made by Durban socialite, Roseanne Narandas, that she supplied food, fuel and jewellery for a senior official at Westville Correctional Centre to ensure her son’s safety at the prison.
TV news broadcaster eNCA reported that Narandas submitted an affidavit alleging that she conceded to the official's demands after he proved that he could move her son, Rajiv Narandas, to a different more dangerous section of the correctional facility, rendering his life in danger, at whim.
Rajiv was found guilty of the murder of Veenand Singh, 32, who was murdered in the parking lot of the Shoukara night club in Sandton on July 13, 2008.
He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.
Between 2019 and 2021, the mother regularly made visits to the facility where she delivered food; sometimes home-cooked, sometimes from Nando's; jewellery and a luxury handbag for the prison official.
She claimed that she also met with the official in areas around Westville, deposited money into bank accounts amounting to R10 000, used to pay for his son's boarding school fees, medical bills and fuel costs.
She further alleged that the official used her connections to get his vehicle serviced, fuel tank filled and tyres changed.
Narandas alleged that in one instance, the official wanted jewellery for his wife's birthday, which Narandas gave a luxury handbag.
She also claimed that he wanted a gold chain a few weeks later and she gave him a diamond ring, which later had to be altered as the official allegedly said the diamond was too small.
The Department of Correctional Services has confirmed it was investigating the allegations.
IOL