LOCAL

Former Transnet executives Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh were granted R50,000 bail each after their arrest on Monday, and will be back in court in October for the R93m fraud and corruption case which involves other former executives of the parastatal.

The state did not oppose their bail applications.

Magistrate Emmanuel Magampa granted them bail and ordered them to hand over their passports to the investigating officer. He said when they need to travel they can make the necessary arrangements.

Molefe’s lawyer, Mpho Molefe, said the former Transnet and Eskom boss had so far raised R20,000 for bail as he was a self-employed pensioner with current earnings that were not “economically glamorous”.

His lawyer said he would have to borrow from family to find the full bail amount.

Molefe receives an income of R52,000 from his pension and R12,000 from a self-employment gig, the defence disclosed.

The duo are due in the special sitting of the Commercial Crimes Court in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court on October 14 for the R93m Transnet fraud and corruption case.

Molefe and Singh appeared alongside Regiments directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha, who were all joined in the case involving former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama, former acting CFO Garry Pita, former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi, Regiments Capital shareholder Eric Wood and his employee Daniel Roy, and Kuben Moodley, owner of Albatime.

Molefe and Singh’s arrests took place on Monday morning and were carried out by the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate, assisted by members of the Hawks.

Piet du Plessis, who represents Moodley and Gama, asked the court to make it an order that before October 14, the defence lawyers have to be presented with a final charge sheet.

Legal representatives of the other accused supported the move.

The magistrate asked the state to commit that before the next appearance date, the defence lawyers would have been served with a final charge sheet.

Advocate Thembela Bakamela, appearing for the state, said even though he had difficulties in committing to a specific date, he would commit that before the next appearance the charge sheet and final disclosures would have been made available to the defence.

TimesLIVE Premium previously reported the charges relate to R93m, which Transnet paid Trillian for organising a R30bn club loan to help buy 1,064 locomotives. It was allegedly a double payment as Transnet had already paid Regiments, where Wood was also a director, for the work. Trillian allegedly did nothing to earn the fee but invoiced Transnet.

The locomotives deal ballooned from R38bn to R54.5bn, and the controversial Gupta brothers allegedly received about R6bn in kickbacks, the state capture inquiry found.

Source: TimesLIVE