Former Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) group CE Lucky Montana has come out swinging against Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on maladministration at the parastatal.
Speaking to Radio 702 on Tuesday morning‚ Mr Montana said Ms Madonsela was not a judge and that he would challenge for a review of her report in court.
Although he appeared to concede that he had made mistakes while at the helm‚ he said Ms Madonsela “is not a judge“.
“All of those allegations (against me) are false and baseless‚ and have not (been) substantiated.
“I have made submissions and provided evidence (to that effect)‚” he said.
Mr Montana was also defiant in an interview with PowerFM on Tuesday‚ saying the allegation that he travelled on the Blue Train with 10 women was false. Also‚ Mr Montana said he did not know Isaac Modiselle‚ whom the ex-CE has been accused of giving business.
Mr Montana always acted “in the best interests of the company”‚ he insisted.
“I am proud of the enormous work we did for this country. I am proud that‚ from next year‚ South Africans from the townships…will be able to travel on a modern train system. When I joined Prasa‚ its assets were valued at R7bn; today its R40bn. I am not destroying value‚ I’m creating value.”
On Monday‚ Ms Madonsela made damning findings of widespread irregular and fruitless expenditure‚ as well as maladministration‚ at the troubled entity. Her report into Prasa’s affairs was not flattering to Mr Montana.
She has recommended that the Treasury conduct a forensic probe at Prasa looking into contracts of more than R10m dating back to 2012. Ms Madonsela also urged Prasa’s board to take cognisance of her report.
However‚ the public protector is not done with the parastatal as a second report into its messy affairs is on the horizon.
Montana comes out swinging against Madonsela
Speaking to Radio 702 on Tuesday morning‚ Mr Montana said Ms Madonsela was not a judge and that he would challenge for a review of her report in court.
Although he appeared to concede that he had made mistakes while at the helm‚ he said Ms Madonsela “is not a judge“.
“All of those allegations (against me) are false and baseless‚ and have not (been) substantiated.
“I have made submissions and provided evidence (to that effect)‚” he said.
Mr Montana was also defiant in an interview with PowerFM on Tuesday‚ saying the allegation that he travelled on the Blue Train with 10 women was false. Also‚ Mr Montana said he did not know Isaac Modiselle‚ whom the ex-CE has been accused of giving business.
Mr Montana always acted “in the best interests of the company”‚ he insisted.
“I am proud of the enormous work we did for this country. I am proud that‚ from next year‚ South Africans from the townships…will be able to travel on a modern train system. When I joined Prasa‚ its assets were valued at R7bn; today its R40bn. I am not destroying value‚ I’m creating value.”
On Monday‚ Ms Madonsela made damning findings of widespread irregular and fruitless expenditure‚ as well as maladministration‚ at the troubled entity. Her report into Prasa’s affairs was not flattering to Mr Montana.
She has recommended that the Treasury conduct a forensic probe at Prasa looking into contracts of more than R10m dating back to 2012. Ms Madonsela also urged Prasa’s board to take cognisance of her report.
However‚ the public protector is not done with the parastatal as a second report into its messy affairs is on the horizon.
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