Commission follows money in Prasa graft investigation
The Zondo commissionwill scrutinise the bank records of Lucky Montana, former CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), as part of an investigation into corruption allegations at the train operation.
This comes days after Montana filed a statement with the commission to tell his side of the story.
On Friday he told the Sunday Times he welcomed the move by the commission and had directed investigators to Absa — his main bank.
He said he was not aware that the commission had issued subpoenas to banks.
“It’s news to me, I didn’t know that … I don’t have a problem with that,” Montana said. The commission was more than welcome to have access to his bank records.
“They never notified me … This is part of what I am raising about this commission, precisely because it does exactly [this]. It continues to do unlawful things.
“I don’t have a problem. I think if the commission thinks they need to subpoena my finances, they are more than free. They can go to Absa; Absa will help them with my things.”
Montana said his statement to the commission, which he submitted this week, responded to allegations about his tenure at Prasa.
“My statement is very comprehensive … and I am addressing each and every issue about Prasa: when Prasa was formed, how it developed, all the major projects to modernise our railway, I amdealingwith them in that statement.
“And of course I do respond to the false allegations that have been made by people like [former Prasa chair] Popo Molefe and others. I deal with them at length,” he said.
The commission subpoenaed 33 entities and individuals involved in the alleged looting of Prasa, or their bank records. They include:
● Swifambo Rail Leasing, which scored a R3.5bn contract to provide 70 locomotives that proved to be unsuitable for local railway lines. The high court in Johannesburg found the contract to be corrupt;
● A law firm linked to the locomotive tender, Sabelo Inc;
● George Sabelo, owner of the law firm;
● Auswell Mashaba, MD of Swifambo;
● Siyaya Engineering Consultancy and Siyaya Rail Infrastructure Solutions, which have been linked to multibillion-rand tenders at Prasa. The Judicial Service Commission recently recommended the suspension of judge Nana Makhubele, who, when she was chair of the Prasa board, allegedly pushed for the payment of a R59m settlement by Prasa to Siyaya Rail Infrastructure Solutions;
Siyaya owner Makhensa Mabunda; Former Prasa project manager Luyanda Gantsho, who is accused of receiving benefits from a contractor; and
Roy Moodley, the owner of Royal Security and an alleged Jacob Zuma benefactor.
Both Moodley and Gantsho said they were not aware that the Zondo commission had subpoenaed their bank records.
“What they are doing is unlawful,” said Moodley. “If they would have asked me, I would have given it to them because I don't have a problem. But them sneaking around and taking it, it’s very unlawful.
“First they should come to me and ask me for my bank statements. If I refuse then they should make an application to the high court to ask for my statements,” he said.
Gantsho is implicated in a multibillionrand tender thatwas allegedly grantedwithout following proper procedures to Siyangena Technologies, a company linked to Moodley that provides IT and security products.
“I have never been contacted by the state capture [commission] for such things,” Gantsho said, referring to his bank statements, calling the commission’s actions “strange”.
“Of course I would [have co-operated], state capture is at the heart of all the corruption in the country. If they contacted me … definitely I would.”
Sabelo and Mabunda could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.