Former CEO Lucky Montana is convinced that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela “misdirected herself” when she made findings of wrongdoing at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa).
“I have this utmost respect for advocate Thuli Madonsela. Throughout the period‚ I have cooperated with her‚” Montana said in an interview with Radio 702 on Tuesday.
“I am convinced‚ having reviewed all documents‚ that she misdirected herself on this investigation.”
Also read: Prasa’s Montana: ‘If my family heard I was dishonourable‚ they’d be shocked’
Montana said that‚ in some instances‚ she had made findings against him when those decisions were actually taken by the board of Prasa. “Those decisions should not be attributed to Lucky Montana‚” he said.
He said he had taken the public protector’s report on review in the high court in Pretoria in September last year.
Montana said he did not know the current status of that review process.
“I don’t know exactly. I have given my legal representatives a mandate to proceed to the next phase‚” he explained.
“She got it wrong. She erred in a big way. Let the court decide.”
In her report‚ released in August last year‚ Madonsela investigated 37 complaints‚ most of which related to the improper awarding of tenders‚ the improper appointment or suspension of a number of individuals‚ and financial wastage by Montana.
Montana said he welcomed the public protector’s recommendation that National Treasury conducts investigations on Prasa tenders worth more than R10-million.
“There is no single buddy of Lucky Montana that was given tenders.”
Montana left the organisation in July last year‚ months before his contract was due to expire on March 31 this year.
At the time of his departure‚ Prasa was under a cloud after it emerged that locomotives bought in a multibillion-rand tender were too tall for the country’s railway tracks and could damage overhead cables.
In November‚ Prasa went to the high court to set aside Swifambo Rail Leasing’s contract to supply it with 70 locomotives‚ on the grounds that findings of alleged fraud‚ corruption and gross irregularities were made by the auditor-general and the public protector.
— TMG Digital