Former CEO Lucky Montana denies buying properties with Prasa’s money

FORMER Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) group chief executive Lucky Montana has defended his multimillion-rand properties and taken on an evidence leader at the Zondo Commission.

Answering questions related to his R37 million properties, Montana said the acquisition of his properties was being intentionally misconstrued as illegal by evidence leader advocate Vas Soni.

He told commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that the commission owed him an apology.

“You see, the commission owes me an apology, chair. I want to be here to be accountable to the country. The commission should probe my dealings on anything, including on my properties.

“Chair, I've written over 15 pages of my affidavit focusing on my properties, so I'm not running away. I'm here and Mr Soni can grill me the whole day, I'm here,” Montana said.

State capture investigator Clint Oellerman reported that between August and October 2014 Montana was involved in arrangements for the purchase of three properties totalling in excess of R36m.

Montana denied allegations that he bought these properties using Prasa's money. He also denied receiving these properties as “kickbacks”.

According to Oellerman's investigation, he reported that these properties were funded through arrangements made by Adriaan van der Walt, an attorney who acted for Siyangena Technologies.

Siyangena Technologies was found to have unlawfully won contracts worth billions of rand to supply security infrastructure to Prasa stations for the 2010 World Cup and subsequent contracts. These items included automated speed stiles, information boards, CCTV, lights and communication systems, to a contract value of about R6 billion.

Montana told the commission that the allegations about his properties were lies and it came from a “criminal gang” which he says he wants to use the cross-examination to expose.

He also challenged Soni in his defence.

“Let me assist you with your role, Mr Soni. Your role is to assist the commission to the truth. It is not to push a particular view.

“Mr Soni must not threaten me. I can never be threatened,” Montana said.

However, Soni said he would not ask Montana questions if he had already made up his mind and adopted a particular view.

“The idea is to get his version,” Soni told the commission.

The inquiry continues.

– POLITICAL BUREAU