By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Five former Transnet officials have been arrested by the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate on Friday morning on charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
The arrests took place around 07:00 at the Brackendowns Police Station, according to the spokesperson for the ID, Sindisiwe Seboka.
It’s understood that two of the five accused include former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama and Eric Wood from the Gupta-linked companies Regiments Capital and Trillian Capital Partners.
They are expected to appear at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court sitting as the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
ID | 5 former senior executives at Transnet have been arrested by the Hawks and ID, after handing themselves in at the Brackendowns Police Station this morning. They will appear before Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court sitting as the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
— NPASouthAfrica (@NPA_Prosecutes) May 27, 2022
In the second volume of the State Capture Inquiry report, commission chair Chief Justice Raymond Zondo recommended the prosecution of Gama, Wood, former Transnet CEO Brian Molefe, CFO Anoj Singh, Gupta fixer Kuben Moodley and former Transnet treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi for numerous findings.
These include R79.2 million Transnet paid to Regiments on 30 April 2014, R93.48 million paid to Trillian on 4 December 2015, a Range Rover Sport which was purchased for Ramosebudi in exchange for Trillian being appointed to replace JP Morgan as the lead arranger of a R12 billion club loan, for which Trillian was paid R93.4 million.
This is a developing story.