Former Transnet legal department boss Kenneth Diedricks and his co-accused Charles Ernest Pretorius and Refiole Desmond Martins, who are the executives at the state-owned entity’s contractor Polyzomba, have been released on R10 000 bail each.
The trio appeared at the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge on Wednesday.
It is alleged that Polyzomba was awarded a R25-million rail maintenance contract which was authorised by Diedricks without Transnet’s knowledge and approval. It is also alleged that Polyzomba later paid Diedricks R300 000 which he used to purchase a property to the value of R3.7-million in Bassonia.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana, Diedricks may have also received a carpet worth R20 000 from another company contracted to Transnet.
Said Mjonondwana: “During the year 2006, Transnet Freight Rail [TFR] awarded a tender to Polyzomba for the replacement of turnouts/track panels on the railway network under the jurisdiction of depot engineers on the Natal main line, coal line, and Empangeni depot.
“The official duration of the contract was from 03 April 2006 to 02 April 2011 and was valued at almost R64-million. After the expiry of the TFR and Polyzomba contract, the latter lodged a contractual dispute with TFR for the payment of an ancillary contractual payment to the total value of R25-million.
“Before a settlement between TFR and Polyzomba could be concluded, the consultation approval and signatures of Diedricks, the general manager of rail network, as well as that of the principal engineer were required.
“On 19 December 2011, Diedricks and the said general manager co-signed and approved the settlement of over R25-million as payment to Polyzomba without consultation, knowledge, approval, and signature of the engineering department of TFR, nor the principal engineer.”
They face multiple charges of corruption and money-laundering and have been ordered to return to court on March 7 for disclosure of the contents of the docket.
They are also expected to “notify the investigating officer 14 days in advance of travelling out of South Africa, as well as provide the officer with a full itinerary of their travelling arrangements”.
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