It is time for Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba, the Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), to intervene and to order the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) to come clean about the progress in the alleged investigations into corruption at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).
On 19 June 2017 Brig. Hangwani Mulaudzi, Spokesperson of the Hawks, confirmed to the United National Transport Union (UNTU) in writing that investigations into allegations pertaining to PRASA are continuing and added that the Hawks were not obliged to go into details.
It is a common legal principal that justice delayed is justice denied.
Two years have passed since Adv. Thuli Madonsela, the former Public Protector, released her report, Derailed, in which she found widespread evidence of maladministration, improper conduct and nepotism.
However, up until now no individuals have been brought before the Courts, says Steve Harris, General Secretary of UNTU.
On 6 June 2017, UNTU wrote a letter to Lieutenant-General Mothiba asking him for feedback on the Hawks investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption at PRASA, after the now former PRASA Board alleged that the Hawks refused to investigate the allegations. Despite several reminders, Lieutenant-General Mothiba has failed to respond to UNTU’s letter.
In the most recent turn of events, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) filed an application at the Pretoria High Court yesterday to intervene in a case aimed at prosecuting those who siphoned off about R5.4bn in railway contracts at PRASA.
OUTA wants the Court to compel the Hawks to investigate the alleged corruption at PRASA and wants the Court to compel the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to guide the investigations. “This truly is a sad day as this is the basis of the Constitutional mandate of South African Citizens to both the SAPS and the NPA,” says Harris.
This comes after outgoing PRASA chairperson Popo Molefe accused the former and the current Transport Ministers of undermining the Boards ability to do proper investigations, following former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s Derailed report.
It was the Board of PRASA whom approached the Court to successfully set aside the
Swifambo Rail Leasing (Pty) Ltd contract amounting to approximately R2.6 billion.
“UNTU would once again appeal to the SAPS and the NPA to stop undermining public confidence in the criminal justice system in South Africa by simply irrespectively arresting and prosecuting the culprits without the Courts ordering them to do so,” says Harris.
For more information phone UNTU Spokesperson Sonja Carstens at 082 463 6806.
Issued on behalf of UNTU by Carstens. For UNTU Press Releases e-mail enquiries@untu.co.za
