Ex-Transnet CEO Molefe charged with graft in South African court

Two former top executives at Transnet SOC Ltd., South Africa’s state-owned freight rail and ports operator, were charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering in a case that stems from the company’s award of a questionable 93 million-rand ($5.5 million) contract to consultants Regiments Capital Ltd.

Transnet ex-Chief Executive Officer Brian Molefe, former Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh and two Regiments directors appeared at a hearing in the Palm Ridge Specialized Crimes Court in Johannesburg on Monday following their arrest by a special police investigative unit known as the Hawks.

The four were released on 50,000-rand bail each and will appear in court again on Oct. 14 alongside Siyabonga Gama, another former Transnet CEO, and five other suspects who were charged in connection with the same case in May. 

A judicial commission headed by South African Chief Justice Raymond Zondo implicated Molefe, Singh and a number of others in malfeasance at Transnet, and recommended that prosecutors consider investigating and charging them. Zondo identified 41.2 billion rand’s worth of irregular contracts entered into by the state company, one of several that fell prey to what’s become known as state capture during former President Jacob Zuma’s almost nine-year tenure.

The charges may not be the last brought against Molefe and Singh. Zondo also implicated both men in wrongdoing at state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., where they later held the same positions as they did at Transnet, and called for them to be held to account.