By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Two former Transnet executives, Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama were arrested on Monday morning over a dodgy payment made in 2015 to Trillian Asset Management.
Trillian Asset Management is a company linked to state capture allegations.
They are expected to appear in court on Monday.
The charges against Molefe and Gama relate to a R93 million purchase of locomotives for Transnet during their tenure at the state entity.
Also facing charges are former chief financial officers Anoj Singh and Thamsanqa Jiyane.
Molefe and the others are also accused of helping move millions of rand from Transnet to Trillian under questionable circumstances. The payment happened during a time when state-owned companies were being looted in massive state capture schemes.
The Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the four men are facing 18 charges of fraud, corruption and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act and Companies Act.
“These charges relate to the acquisition of three contracts for locomotives at Transnet between the period of 2011 and 2014”.
Mamothame said that between 2011 and 2014, Transnet made a decision to expand and modernise its services, and there was a need for these contracts or tenders to be bid for.
“The state will prove in court that processes were flouted. Hence, the accused will appear in court today”.
He added this case also emanates from the acquisition of the 1 064 locomotives stemming from the previous case.
“But the facts are different. In this matter, we have three contracts, different from the first case that is set for trial in February 2026. There are three additional contracts in addition to the acquisition of the 1,064 locomotives.
These contracts are from the 100 which were supposed to be put on tender, and we have 95 again, and we have the entire 1,064, which was standard. Now the flouting of processes in these three contracts, that’s where the state was able to come up with charges, formulate charges that we believe will be sustained in a trial,” Mamothame said.