Ex-Prasa CEO Lucky Montana’s homes seized in R5.6bn corruption case

TheSpecial Investigating Unit(SIU) has secured a court order preserving two luxury properties worth more than R15m linked to former Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) group CEO Lucky Montana. This was allegedly after Montana’s declared income could not explain how he acquired the two properties. This seizure is part of the SIU’s investigation into the agency’s controversial R5.6bn Integrated Security Access Management System (Isams) contract.

WATCH | Inside the multimillion-rand properties the SIU says are linked to former Prasa boss Lucky Montana. Investigators obtained a preservation order after tracing what they describe as a direct money trail between the homes and Prasa’s R5.6bn security contract. The properties…pic.twitter.com/D8kFLlxqKh The Special Tribunal granted the preservation order, preventing Montana from selling, transferring, leasing or otherwise dealing with the properties while the SIU pursues civil proceedings to recover alleged proceeds of corruption.

The preserved assets include a property in Hurlingham, Johannesburg, valued at R13.5m and a property in Waterkloof, Pretoria, worth R2.25m. SIU spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the order also instructed the registrar of deeds to place caveats on both title deeds to prevent any unauthorised transactions. “The preservation order follows an SIU investigation which uncovered a direct and uninterrupted money trail linking the acquisition of both properties to proceeds allegedly derived from thePrasaIsams contract awarded to Siyangena Technologies, a subsidiary of TMM Holdings,” he said.

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According to Makgotho, the Isams project was initially introduced to improve security, reduce fare evasion and modernise selected train stations before the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Though the project started as a pilot at selected stations, Prasa later expanded it, awarding several contracts and extensions to Siyangena.

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