Pretoria: Former Transnet group chief executive Brian Molefe and former finance head Anoj Singh have appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on charges of defrauding the state-owned enterprise, Transnet.
It emerged earlier that the former Transnet executives had been arrested on Monday morning by the Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks.
Before midday, Molefe stood in the dock alongside Singh, Niven Pillay, and chartered accountant and director of several companies Litha Mangaliso Nyhonyha. The four men are charged alongside Regiments Capital which is accused number 10.
The State did not oppose bail for the accused.
The magistrate released the four on R50 000 bail and ordered that they hand in their passports. They are due to return to court on October 14.
In motivating for his release on bail, Molefe, through his lawyer, Mpho Molefe, told the court that he has monthly financial responsibilities that included R12 000 for his two minor children’s fees, and a monthly electricity bill of more than R11 000 at his palatial Pretoria East private estate.
“I have to provide food and accommodation to my children and my elderly mother. I pay school fees of R12 750 per month for my minor children (with an annexure attached). I must pay electricity of roughly R11 518. I pay medical aid for my wife and my two (minor) children and two major (adult) children every month,” the former Eskom CEO submitted to the court.
Molefe said he received a monthly pension of R52 000.
“I received R12 000 per month from MPB Logistics as a director of the company. I own the following assets, which I call my own property – house number 7 in The Ridge Street, Zwavel’s Nest Estate, Zwavelpoort; an Audi A4, a Nissan Navara; a Ford Bantam; a Harley Davidson motorbike; a BMW motorbike,” he said.
“I suffer from the following conditions for which I have to have to take medication on a daily basis – diabetes, hypertension and arthritis.”
The case against the five was joined to that of another former chief executive, Siyabonga Gama, and two other former senior executives of the state-owned enterprise.
Earlier, Gama appeared before the same court alongside former acting group chief financial officer Garry Pita and former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi. They are charged alongside Regiments Capital shareholder Eric Wood, Trillian asset management director Daniel Roy (Novum asset management) and Albatime Pty Ltd owner Kuben Moodley.
The corruption case against Gama and others was postponed until October 14.
The men and entities before the court are accused of contravening the Public Finance Management Act, fraud, corruption and money laundering.
The alleged corruption dates from 2012, when Transnet requested a proposal tender to get transaction advisory services to secure funding for R30 billion.
The money was meant to acquire 1 064 locomotives.
In May 2015, Transnet appointed JB Morgan for its advisory services. From July to October 2015, the same officials in Transnet had started facilitating the termination of the JB Morgan contract.
The cancellation was a result of the officials making the decision to appoint Trillian in October 2015.
An invoice of R93.4m was then submitted by Trillian, through Daniel Roy who served as a director of Trillian. The invoice was approved by Pita and Gama, and payment was made on December 3, 2015, to Trillian’s account.
Three days after payment was received, R74m was paid to Albatime, owned by Moodley, without any reason, according to the Investigative Directorate.
Before the payment of R74m, a payment was made by Transnet to Regimens for R189m in June 2015, allegedly for the same services.
The matter has been postponed to allow for further investigation and disclosures.
IOL