FORMER Transnet executives are facing serious legal troubles.
Brian Molefe and Siyabonga Gama handed themselves over to the police on Monday, 30 June.
They're linked to serious corruption and fraud charges.
This is linked to the controversial R54 billion locomotive procurement deal.
Molefe, who served as Group CEO of Transnet from 2011 to 2015, and Gama, former CEO of Transnet Freight Rail, are expected to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge, Ekurhuleni on Monday, 30 June alongside two other individuals.
The charges relate to a 2015 tender for 1 064 locomotives, which has become a symbol of State Capture excesses and irregular expenditure at the state-owned logistics giant.
According to reports, the case revolves around a questionable R93,4 million payment to Trillian Asset Management, a company linked to the Gupta network, and more than R305 million in escalated contract values allegedly pushed through without proper authorisation.
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The accused faces multiple charges, including contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), corruption, fraud, and money laundering.
The deal, which has been under scrutiny for some time, was a key focus of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
Companies such as Regiments Capital and Trillian were found to have received irregular payments facilitated by senior Transnet executives during that period.
The GOOD Party has welcomed the arrests, calling them "long overdue".
"This case is yet another example of the industrial-scale looting that took place under the cover of State Capture, a project that robbed South Africans of infrastructure, integrity, and justice," said GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron.
He said that while the arrests were a positive step, real accountability would only be seen through successful prosecutions and convictions.
"South Africans are watching, not just to see arrests, but to see convictions. The era of impunity must end," Herron added.
