Johannesburg – The high-profile case in which four businessmen allegedly inflated the costs of moving the point of manufacture of electric and diesel locomotives from Pretoria to Durban has been adjourned to next year by the Johannesburg Magstrate’s Court.
The four businessmen, Allan Wayne Tichauer, Sudesh Premchand Rocharam, Yaasien Mahomed, and Rafael Bricker appeared in court on Friday, (13 December 2024), facing charges of money laundering involving R76 million.
The four businessmen and their companies have been charged under The Prevention Of Organised Crime Act.
The accused Tichauer, Rocharam, Mahomed, and Bricker were granted bail of R50 000 each, with stringent conditions that included surrendering their passports to the investigating officer and reporting to their nearest police station once a week.
Their matter was postponed to 28 January 2025.
Explaining the alleged crime, Henry Mamothame the spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, said the case emanates from alleged anomalies uncovered regarding the costs of relocating the assembling point of locomotives from Pretoria to Durban.
After Transnet awarded a tender to manufacture 1 064 electric and diesel locomotives, the accused allegedly misrepresented the relocation costs, which amounted to more than R76 million.
“It was further discovered that none of the companies had established their manufacturing plant in Pretoria prior to the decision to relocate the plant in 2015,” said Mamothame.
“Following the payment from Transnet into the account of CNR, which was contracted for the relocation, it is alleged that money was laundered through different companies owned by the other accused.”
