Former Prasa boss Lucky Montana 'faked job offer' to get a salary increase, says Popo Molefe

13 March 2020 - 15:16 By ZINGISA MVUMVU
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Former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana faked a job offer to get a salary increase, the state capture inquiry heard on Friday.File photo.
Former Prasa CEO Lucky Montana faked a job offer to get a salary increase, the state capture inquiry heard on Friday.File photo.
Image: Sunday Times/Esa Alexander

Former Prasa chief executive Lucky Montana allegedly concocted a fake job offer and used it to hoodwink his employer into increasing his salary.

That's according to former Prasa board chairperson Popo Molefe, who continued testifying at the state capture inquiry in Braamfontein on Friday.

Molefe likened Montana's "dishonesty" to that of Daniel Mthimkhulu, former head of engineering at the same state-owned company, who faked three qualifications and received several salary increases approved by Montana.

The supreme court of appeals (SCA) would later find that Mthimkhulu did not have a single qualification, despite claims that he had a technical diploma, a bachelor's degree in engineering and a PhD.

"The SCA held that Mr Mthimkhulu had no expertise on the subject [engineering] he was given responsibility for. It also noted he had been elevated and promoted to that position of Prasa chief engineer by Mr Montana, further noting that his rise was very fast," said Molefe.

"Together with his rise was the rise of his salary. The SCA arrived at that conclusion because Mr Mthimkhulu had lied about his qualification. He claimed to have a bachelor's degree in engineering.

"Later he claimed to have a PhD. In the end it was established that he did not even have the technical diploma he claimed to have. In order for Mr Mthimkhulu to get to where he got, he lied at different times. The SCA categorically said that, in fact, Mr Mthimkhulu had no qualification at all."

Molefe said this modus operandi of surviving on lies had also been employed by Mthimkhulu's boss, Montana.

"We [the Prasa board] established that Mr Montana, when he wanted a rise in his salary, submitted a fake offer of employment," said Molefe.

"The dishonesty that is being spoken of is not only about Mthimkhulu. You had an instance where Mr Montana was doing similar things."

Montana was Prasa chief executive for seven years between 2008 and 2015. 


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