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Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and co-accused granted bail after arrests in Transnet fraud case


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Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and co-accused granted bail after arrests in Transnet fraud case

Brian Molefe
Photo by Creamer Media
Brian Molefe

29th August 2022

By: News24Wire

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Former Transnet chief executive officer (CEO) Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, the parastatal's former finance boss, and their co-accused were granted bail on Monday after being arrested in connection with a R93-million corruption and fraud case linked to the procurement of 1 064 locomotives in 2015.

The two former executives were joined in the dock by Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha, directors at the Gupta-linked firm, Regiments Capital.

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The four men were granted R50 000 bail.

The case has been postponed to 14 October.

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Earlier in the morning, six other people, who had already been charged in the matter, appeared briefly in the same courtroom.

The six - another ex-Transnet group CEO, Siyabonga Gama, Regiment Capital's Eric Wood, former Transnet acting chief financial officer Garry Pita, former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi, Trillian Asset Management director Daniel Roy and Kuben Moodley, owner of Albatime - previously appeared in court in May.

Wood has requested that his bail conditions be amended. He will be back in court on 7 October for the hearing.

The matter stems from a payment of R93-million to Trillian Capital, a Gupta-linked proxy company, to secure funding for the purchase of the locomotives.

The transaction advisory contract was initially awarded to global investment bank, JP Morgan, before the deal was cancelled. It was subsequently awarded to Trillian.

The estimated cost of the project ballooned from around R38-billion in 2012 to more than R50-billion.

In its report, the Zondo Commission recommended that the police investigate Molefe, Gama and Singh for their alleged roles in siphoning money from Transnet to the Gupta family.

A 2018 forensic report found that Molefe had misled the state-owned entity's board about its obligation to inform then-public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba about the spike in the project's costs.

BAIL APPLICATIONS
During their first appearance, Molefe, Singh, Pillay and Nyhonyha detailed their personal circumstances to the court as they sought to secure bail.

All four indicated that they intended to plead not guilty.

Nyhonyha told the court he was married in community of property. He also said his children had previously studied in America and Britain, but that they had since returned home. He added that he held shares in various companies.

Molefe said he didn't have any relatives outside of South Africa's borders.

His lawyer, Mpho Molefe, told the court the former Eskom CEO was married with two minor children, who relied on him for support.

He said he also supported his mother.

Molefe said he received R52 000 monthly from his pension, and he earned a R12 000 salary from his directorship at a company.

Singh's attorney, Anneline van den Heever, said he had no previous convictions and wasn't a flight risk.

Van den Heever told the court her client wouldn't interfere with the State's evidence or witnesses.

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