Former Prasa engineer Daniel Mthimkhulu convicted of fraud
The former head of engineering services at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Daniel Mthimkhulu has been convicted on three counts of fraud by the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Palm Ridge.
Mthimkhulu was charged with nine counts of fraud for allegedly misrepresenting his qualifications to Prasa.
He claimed 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.
Mthimkhulu's appointment cost the rail agency billions of rands, crippling the state-owned enterprise further.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane, says Prasa suffered prejudice as a result of appointing Mthimkhulu under falsified qualifications.
"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 2.8 million. In June 2010, he lied to PRASA about a received job offer 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."
In 2015 Mthimkhulu was unable produce his Engineering and PhD qualifications which he claimed he had.
Mthimkhulu oversaw a controversial multimillion rand locomotive acquisition project which bought 13 trains for R600-million.
The trains were reportedly too high for the country's rail lines and posed a safety hazard.
The convicted fraudster is back in court next month.
"The case was remanded to 24 February for transcripts of proceedings as a new Regional Magistrate will be taking over the sentencing proceedings,” says Mjonondwane.
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