Former Prasa executive Daniel Mthimkhulu convicted for fraud

The former head of engineering services at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) Daniel Mshushisi Mthimkhulu was convicted on three counts of fraud by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Palm Ridge on Monday.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mthimkhulu was charged with nine counts of fraud for allegedly misrepresenting his qualifications to Prasa, claiming among others, to have acquired a master’s degree from the University of Witwatersrand, as well as a doctorate in Engineering Management from the Technische Universitat Munchen in Germany.

As a result of this misrepresentation, the rail agency “suffered prejudice” in that Mthimkhulu’s annual salary hiked from R1.6 million as executive manager heading the engineering services to R2.8 million, said the NPA.

In June 2010, he lied to Prasa about a job offer received from a German engineering firm, for a position as an engineering services specialist at a salary of R2.8 million per annum. Consequently, Prasa made Mthimkhulu a counter-offer in September 2010 at a salary of R2.8 million.

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State advocate James Bhengu from the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit argued that “Prasa suffered prejudice as it was induced into employing and keeping Mthimkhulu in its employment, under a false and frauduent profile. The court shoud reject his version that his CV was manipulated by a third party as far-fetched and strange. His actions exacerbated the financial situation at the rail agency that was already suffering from financial constraints.”

The case was remanded to 24 February 2022 for transcripts of proceedings as a new regional magistrate will be taking over the sentencing proceedings.