DailySun
Johannesburg – The significant case involving four businessmen charged with artificially inflating the expenses linked to relocating the manufacturing base for electric and diesel locomotives from Pretoria to Durban has been postponed by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court until next year.
The businessmen—Allan Wayne Tichauer, Sudesh Premchand Rocharam, Yaasien Mahomed, and Rafael Bricker—appeared in court on Friday, 13 December 2024, facing accusations of money laundering involving R76 million.
All four individuals and their associated companies are being prosecuted under The Prevention Of Organised Crime Act.
The accused—Tichauer, Rocharam, Mahomed, and Bricker—were granted bail set at R50,000 each, subject to stringent conditions, which include surrendering their passports to the investigating officer and weekly reporting to their local police station.
The case has been rescheduled for 28 January 2025.
Henry Mamothame, spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption, explained that the case originates from alleged discrepancies found regarding the costs associated with relocating the locomotive assembly point from Pretoria to Durban.
After Transnet awarded a contract for the manufacture of 1,064 electric and diesel locomotives, the accused reportedly misrepresented the costs related to the relocation, exceeding R76 million.
“It was additionally revealed that none of the companies had established a manufacturing facility in Pretoria prior to the decision to relocate the plant in 2015,” stated Mamothame.
“It is alleged that after the payment from Transnet to CNR, the company contracted for the relocation, the laundered funds were funneled through various companies owned by the other accused.”
