S African prosecutors arrest ex-Transnet officials in Zuma case

The officers are going through fees of fraud and breaching public finance rules linked to a 2015 procurement scandal.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo arrives for the listening to of an software by Jacob Zuma's legal professionals for his recusal from the state seize fee of inquiry in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 16, 2020 [File: Themba Hadebe/AP Photo]

South African prosecutors have arrested a number of former executives at public logistics firm Transnet, which is on the centre of a high-profile investigation into corruption throughout Jacob Zuma’s tenure as president.

On Monday, South Africa’s Nationwide Prosecuting Authority (NPA) mentioned Transnet’s former chief govt officer Brian Molefe and finance chief Anoj Singh had been amongst 4 individuals held in reference to a multimillion-dollar corruption case.

“A number of arrests of former Transnet executives have been effected this morning, by way of association with their authorized representatives,” the NPA mentioned in a press release.

The arrested appeared earlier than a courtroom in Johannesburg on Monday and had been granted 50,000 rand (about $3,000) bail.

An NPA spokesperson confirmed to the AFP information company the executives are going through fees of fraud and breaching public finance rules, linked to a 93 million rand ($5.5m on the present change fee) corruption and fraud case surrounding the 2015 procurement of greater than 1,000 locomotives.

Transnet owns all of South Africa’s rail, ports and pipelines – the logistical spine of the continent’s most superior economic system.

Attorneys for Molefe and Singh mentioned their purchasers meant to plead not responsible.

A report into state corruption below Zuma printed earlier this 12 months described Transnet as a “major web site”.

The investigation led by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo discovered greater than 41 billion rand ($2.42bn) in contracts had been “irregularly awarded for the good thing about entities linked to the Gupta household”, a enterprise household of Indian migrants with shut ties to Zuma.

The opposition Democratic Alliance get together welcomed the arrests, saying it hoped it was the “starting of justice”.

“Whereas others have already been charged on this case, plainly the final chickens have now lastly come dwelling to roost,” get together’s senior lawmaker Glynnis Breytenbach mentioned in a press release.