The state capture case against former Transnet executives Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and other business leaders was back in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday.
The suspects appeared in court facing charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act, fraud, corruption and money laundering.
The case relates to Transnet’s procurement of 1 064 locomotives from China in 2015 and a tender to secure some R30 billion in funding for the project. The tender was awarded to a McKinsey-led consortium in 2012.
The state has alleged that Gupta-linked Regiments Capital was irregularly included in the deal, and the contract value and scope for the services later inflated to more than R305 million.
The suspects are also facing charges related to a sum of R93m that was paid to Gupta-Affiliated firm, Trillian Asset Management, in 2015.
Alleged Gupta fixer, Kuben Moodley, was arrested in connection with the case in September 2021.
Former Regiments shareholder, Eric Wood, and director, Daniel Roy, as well as former Transnet executives Siyabonga Gama, Garry Pita and Phetelo Ramosebudi, were later arrested and added to the case. Among the last suspects to be arrested were Molefe, Singh and Regiments director Niven Pillay, as well as Litha Nyonyha.
McKinsey was added to the case in September 2021, represented by Goitseone Mangope, and its former principal, Vigas Sagar, Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh and others but it wasn’t without a fight.
The matter was postponed to November to allow the state to finish disclosing the docket to the defence.
