Home Business

Zondo suggests govt, Prasa should consider suing corruption beneficiaries

25 February 2021, 2:15 PM |

Amina Accram | @SABCNews

Zondo is hearing evidence from Crowe Forensics SA Director, Ryan Sack.

Image: SABC News

Zondo is hearing evidence from Crowe Forensics SA Director, Ryan Sack.

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, has suggested that government and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) should consider suing officials and individuals who benefited from corrupt contracts from the entity.

Zondo is hearing evidence from Crowe Forensics SA Director, Ryan Sack. He explained to the commission how Prasa paid billions to foreign and local companies for services and the purchase of locomotives that were not fit for purpose.

Zondo says officials at the entity who made decisions to award corrupt tenders that led to billions disappearing should also be investigated.

“Any of those officials who can place before Prasa that there was nothing wrong with evidence that they took then that’s fine then they don’t get sued but if their explanation is not satisfactory than PRASA could consider suing because this is a lot of tax payers money,” says Justice Zondo.

Sacks continues testifying in the video below:

Justice Zondo shocked

The Commission earlier this month heard how Parliament’s Transport Committee failed its oversight duties at Prasa.

Commission chair, Justice Zondo said he was shocked and frustrated to hear that Members of Parliament did nothing about corruption at the entity while the company’s fruitless and wasteful expenditure bill continued to mount.

Furthermore, the committee allegedly failed to interrogate enablers of State Capture at Prasa.

Zondo was hearing evidence from the committee’s former chair Dikeledi Magadzi:

Magadzi said it was difficult to carry out their oversight obligations as a result of the high turn-over of executives at Prasa. She said during her tenure there were three ministers, four boards, and many executives which led to instability at the rail agency.

They also faced many challenges, including getting documents on the modernisation plans for Prasa. She says the company also did not have any annual plans or strategic planning vision for the years 2014-to 2019.

The instability hampered the portfolio committee’s efforts to follow up on allegations of the trains that were bought by Prasa that were not fit for purpose.