Brandon Nel|Published
Out on bail after his arrest for allegedly running a dagga empire and laundering its cash through his minor son’s bank account, a Durban man was seemingly the life of the party at an NPA staff farewell, even spinning a prosecutor all around the dance floor.
This while another prosecutor allegedly threatened to open a fraud case against any staff member who spoke to the press.
The claims are contained in an anonymous whistleblower letter, which was dropped off at the Independent Newspapers building in Durban on a flash drive with photos from the farewell and screenshots of messages from a WhatsApp group for Durban prosecutors.
The photos show Rory Allan Goldin, 56, of Glenwood, with Durban prosecutor Quintelle Gabriel at the function late last year.
In one of the photos, which had been verified as authentic and taken at the farewell, Goldin, in a light blue shirt and dark trousers, holds Gabriel’s hand above her head and spins her across the carpeted floor, while guests in evening wear stand nearby and gold balloons lie scattered around the room.
The detail also alleged that Goldin and Gabriel were in a "relationship", and that the photos were posted to the WhatsApp group after the function before being deleted shortly afterwards.
The National Prosecuting Authority, or NPA, however, said there was no conflict of interest because the Durban office where Gabriel worked was not handling Goldin's case.
Goldin was granted R20,000 bail in February 2025, after he and three co-accused appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on charges including racketeering, dealing in drugs and money laundering.
“The criminal matter which is cited is being dealt with by the organised crime component and is not being handled by the Durban cluster,” said NPA KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara told IOL.
“The question of a conflict of interest therefore does not arise.”
Ramkisson-Kara said Gabriel was acting as a district court control prosecutor in the family section of the Durban Magistrate’s Court as of April 1 this year, under a mentorship programme, and had applied for a promotional post.
She referred further questions about the farewell to the NPA’s Office for Ethics and Accountability.
Gabriel said NPA policy did not allow her to speak to the media.
“I place on record should you publish an article without receiving communication from me or my superiors I shall take legal action against all person including your source," she said.
National NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago did not respond to questions sent to him on Wednesday.
Messages in the WhatsApp group show another Durban prosecutor shared an anonymous warning before the function that accused persons would attend, that the organising committee had asked attorneys for donations and that someone planned to alert the media.
The prosecutor replied that he had heard nothing of the sort and that, as far as he knew, all money received for the farewell had been properly accounted for.
“If any staff has any knowledge let us know ... I cannot deal with anonymous complaints,” he said in the group.
“Well, I know of one or two that goes to the press and causes problems.”
In a later message, he instructed a control prosecutor that a fraud docket must be opened if any of the information reached the press.
In reply, she said in the group that she took exception to the claims.
“It is so sad that we have such a poor turnout from our own prosecutors and now this,” she said.
“This function was open to everyone and all stakeholders and partners.”
Goldin is the first of 11 accused in a case of 675 counts, including racketeering, drug dealing, money laundering, selling scheduled medicines without a licence and failing to submit tax returns.
The state alleged in the charge sheet that he was the principal architect of a scheme run through four Rooftop 420 outlets in Morningside, Overport, Isipingo and Durban North between June 2021 and June 2023.
According to the charge sheet, the outlets sold CBD cookies, cakes and oils as a front while selling THC, the substance in cannabis that causes a high, disguising the sales with special codes on blackboards.
Goldin faces two drug-dealing counts which, according to the charge sheet, carry a minimum sentence of 15 years in jail for a first offender.
The state also alleged that R1.46m was moved from the accused’s accounts into an account Goldin opened for his son, a minor, with R236,450 flowing back.
His co-accused included Vivek Sewpersad, Pregasen Govindasamy, Darren Wade Muller and Natasha Sewpersad.
At the bail hearing, Goldin’s legal representative told the court his stores were the only ones raided, though cannabis shops operated across Durban.
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