Former Transnet CFO Anoj Singh has lodged an application to have his bail conditions relaxed as he wants to take up a CEO job offer in Dubai.
The specialised commercial crimes court at Palm Ridge is expected to hear the matter on Thursday where the state is opposing the application, fearing that Singh may run.
Singh wants to take up a CEO position for a Dubai-based company, known as Buy 4 Rich, which describes itself on its social media profiles as a health and wellness company and “a trailblazer of luxurious products”.
He has indicated in his affidavit in support of the application that he had not been able to find employment in the country and that he’s willing to submit the passports of his wife and children for security to the state should he be allowed to work in Dubai.
In a letter from Buy 4 Rich, sent in support of Singh’s request for the relaxation of his bail conditions, which forms part of court documents, company founder Rigwan Shaikh stated that Singh was chosen due to his “professional background, accomplishments and extensive international connections”.
“We are confident in his potential to be a significant asset to our leadership team. The assessment [of Singh] is coincident with our company’s upcoming phase of expansion and growth,” Shaikh stated.
He also wrote in the letter that Singh would be expected to travel internationally “including visits to countries such as South Africa and various other African nations”.
The repeated extended offers create a distinct impression of convenience and collusion on the part of Buy 4 Rich to aid the applicant to secure the release of his passport.
— Investigator Lt-Col Denwill Coetzee
The initial offer had a commencement date of September 1 2023, however, other subsequent job-offer letters extended the commencement date to October 15 2023 and later revised to November 31 2023.
In letters dated November 15 and December 7, the start date was revised to December 15 2023 and January 15 respectively.
A fresh job-offer letter, dated January 17 2024, gave Singh until February 15 to accept the offer, and he was expected to start on March 1.
Investigator Lt-Col Denwill Coetzee, who deposed an affidavit opposing Singh’s application, stated it was difficult to extradite fugitives from the UAE “due to their requirements and the secret nature of such proceedings”.
Coetzee stated that Singh’s wife and children were not subject to any criminal case for their travel documents to be kept by the state.
“It would be unfair to violate the constitutional rights to movement and that still doesn’t guarantee that they will remain in the borders of the republic as this court has witnessed other applicants fleeing this country with their families without the necessary passports, case in point, state vs Shepherd Bushiri,” Coetzee stated.
Coetzee also raised concerns on the Buy 4 Rich offers of employment, stating that the first one was dated August 14, but when they pointed out to Singh’s lawyers that the offer had expired and therefore Singh’s application was invalid, revised new job offer letters were produced.
“Notably, the company has not had a CEO since August 17 2023, most probably even prior thereto. The repeated extended offers create a distinct impression of convenience and collusion on the part of Buy 4 Rich to aid the applicant to secure the release of his passport,” stated Coetzee.
He said it also appears that the company “is seeking to recruit the applicant exclusively at all costs, to the exclusion of any other suitable person, and no matter how long it takes. This appears to be inconsistent with normal best practice for running a company.”
Singh was granted R50,000 bail after his arrest in August 2022, alongside former CEO Brian Molefe, in a Transnet fraud and corruption case.
He’s indicted in a case that features former Transnet bosses Molefe and Siyabonga Gama, former acting CFO Garry Pita and former group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi as accused.
Other accused are Regiments co-directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonyha, investment banker Eric Wood, his employee Daniel Roy and alleged Gupta fixer Kuben Moodley.
They are scheduled to be back in the specialised commercial crimes court in Palm Ridge next week.
The charges Singh and company face related to R93m that Transnet paid Trillian for organising a R30bn club loan to help buy 1,064 locomotives.
It was allegedly a double payment as Transnet had already paid Regiments, where Wood was also a director, for the work. Trillian allegedly did nothing to earn the fee but invoiced Transnet.
The locomotives deal ballooned from R38bn to R54.5bn, and the controversial Gupta brothers allegedly received about R6bn in kickbacks, the state capture inquiry found.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.