Prasa’s Montana: ‘If my family heard I was dishonourable‚ they’d be shocked’

Lucky Montana‚ former CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa)‚ rejected a report that he used a job offer from a non-existent company to force Prasa’s hand in increasing his salary.

Earlier this month‚ Rapport reported that documents in its possession showed how Montana had requested a steep pay hike from the Prasa board on the basis of a written job offer from Gypsum Fertilizer Company in 2012.

Speaking to Radio 702 on Tuesday‚ Montana said this was false. “If the Montana family were to hear that I was a dishonourable person‚ they would be shocked‚” he said.

Montana said the company in question‚ which approached him through an agent‚ told him it was building a port and offered him a job.

“I rejected the job. I told them that‚ in real terms‚ they were offering to pay me less than I was earning. That company‚ whether it exists‚ must answer those allegations.”

Montana left Prasa in July last year‚ months before his contract was due to expire — on March 31 this year.

At the time of his departure‚ Prasa was under a cloud after it emerged that locomotives bought in a multibillion-rand tender were too tall for the country’s railway tracks and could damage overhead cables.

In November‚ Prasa went to the high court to set aside Swifambo Rail Leasing’s contract to supply it with 70 locomotives‚ on the grounds that findings of alleged fraud‚ corruption and gross irregularities were made by the auditor-general and the public protector.